The Sun Still Rises
by WorldNerd12
Summary: In process of being rewritten. Most recent status update: 6/1/15
1. Part 1: First Time at Diagon Alley

**First Time at Diagon Alley**

"Lily, someone at the door!"

Lily Evans sprinted down the stairs, her dark red hair flying behind her and her brilliant green eyes sparkling with a kind of nervous elation. The excitement bubbling in her caused several pictures of Lily and her family to vibrate, but she paid them no attention.

Today was the day. She and Severus had been talking about this day for years. Her letter would come. She would officially be a part of the Wizarding World when a Ministry official and a school teacher asked her to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When Tuney had first told her mother and father about what Severus had said to her, they just thought it was all a game; her mother was disappointed that Lily wouldn't invite her sister to play with them, but Lily's explanations had been lost.

Now her parents would have proof that magic and Hogwarts existed.

Lily had just jumped the last step when she heard a voice say with the barest trace of a foreign accent, "Good morning, my name is Francis Manumali, and this is Professor Minerva McGonagall. I am a representative of the Muggle Liaison Office in the Ministry of Magic, and Professor McGonagall teaches at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry."

McGonagall, the name rung a bell. She remembered Severus talking about some of the present teachers at Hogwarts. She couldn't remember which subject a McGonagall taught, but she did know that McGonagall was one of the Heads. She had never heard of Francis Manumali, though Lily knew about the Ministry of Magic and the Muggle Whatever-he-said Office.

Mr. Manumali was well into his forties, with grey hair on his temples and the rest a dark brown. His expression was blank with colorless eyes surveying Lily's home intently while Professor McGonagall, wearing an old-fashioned business suit, studied Lily's parents for their reactions. Her bun was pulled up tightly without a single hair out of place, and Lily was left wondering if she had ever let her hair down for once in her life.

Mr. Evans looked at complete loss for words, and Mrs. Evans was equally dumbstruck. She stared at the two people as though she had never seen anything quite like them, but Lily was feeling the exact opposite. She sprinted down to meet them, but her father recovered from his shock first. He placed an arm in front of Lily to prevent her from getting any closer as if he was afraid that one of them would snap and suddenly attack.

"There is a mental institution in London," he said in a strong voice.

Mr. Manumali was unfazed by Mr. Evans reaction. He was apparently quite used to being called insane.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward and said, "Mr. and Mrs. Evans, young Lily Evans is indeed a witch and has been offered a place in Britain's most prestigious wizarding school. If I may…"

She withdrew a long stick of wood, and Lily felt her heart leap out of her chest at the sight of it. Two years, but this was the first time she had seen magic in action; Severus' mother never used magic because of his father. She leaned forward in anticipation. Lily glanced back to the woman who was peering at Lily over square spectacles. Lily's first impression was one of those strict school teachers from the early part of the century. The expression on her face was stern, but when she saw Lily, her eyes softened slightly.

Professor McGonagall glanced at Mr. Manumali, and he nodded probably to tell her the coast was clear. She flicked her wand and conjured a small lion that sprang from the tip of her wand straight into Lily's waiting arms. She giggled as the lion purred and licked her chin.

Mr. Manumali looked back to Lily's parents. "May we come inside?" he asked.

Mr. Evans moved backwards in staggering, robotic steps, dragging Lily's mother along with him.

"Thank you for your hospitality," said Professor McGonagall, sweeping past the Evans family and into the tiny entrance area like they were old friends coming for tea.

Mr. Manumali followed and said, "Eccellente," to nobody in particular.

"Richard Evans, and this is my wife, Rose Evans," said Lily's father, finally regaining his voice.

"You are Lily Evans, correct?"

Lily jumped at being addressed directly by McGonagall. The moment she starting questioning her, Lily suddenly felt like she had been caught in the crossfire, like she had been caught red-handed doing something that broke many rules at once.

Mr. Evans shifted on his feet slightly. "I'm sorry, but are we going to get on with it?"

Minerva McGonagall returned her gaze to Lily's parents. "As we said before, we've come to offer Lily a place at Hogwarts."

Mrs. Evans was confused. "But our Lily has never applied for a different school. Are you sure she's the right girl?"

Lily had difficulty not rolling her eyes. _I've only been telling you about Hogwarts for the past several years, _she thought. Thoughts raced around her head, both past memories and future dreams: the first time she had met Severus, the flower she could control at a whim, floating candles which Severus had said covered a ceiling that was enchanted to look like the night sky, the library that was supposed to hold almost half as much books in the Library of Congress in the US. Suddenly September 1st seemed like a very long ways away.

McGonagall smiled slightly as if her mother was not the first to ask that question. "Very. Lily has the qualities we look for in future students. I think it would be best if we all sit down, and then I can explain."

Mr. Evans stepped aside to let the teacher in. He turned to Lily and said, "Why don't you show our guest to the sitting room." Nodding and almost bouncing with excitement, Lily led the way to the large sitting room. McGonagall followed and seated herself on the squashy armchair near the fire while Lily and her parents sat across from her on the sofa.

Mr. Manumali wordlessly leaned against the wall with surprising grace for the older man. The was a glint in his eyes that sent shivers up Lily's spine as he stared at her with her parents and McGonagall engaged in a conversation. She snuggled closer to her mother who realized that Lily was uncomfortable and put an arm around her daughter's shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze though Mrs. Evans couldn't have the slightest clue as to why Lily was acting like she was.

"Ah, this must be your sister Petunia." Lily looked up to see her sister enter. Her blond hair was up in a ponytail, exposing even more of her long neck, and she was annoyed.

Lily's mental walls went up just like they always did when Petunia was involved. Two years of teasing and insults had made it impossible for her to ever be able to express herself freely around her sister. It was almost the point when Lily could ignore Petunia's snide comments-almost.

"That's Tuney." Lily turned back to McGonagall, having a hard time keeping enthusiasm out of her voice, all thoughts of Petunia erased by vivid images of a giant castle with cauldrons and spell books sitting in every corner.

The teacher nodded. "Let's get right to business. As I said before, I am a teacher at Hogwarts, and I have come to offer Lily a place at our school. We have invited her because Hogwarts is a school for magic, and Lily has shown in many instances her ability to perform magic." McGonagall paused to assess Lily's parents, no doubt wondering if Mr. Evans would insist on sending the pair to a psychologist. The mere thought of the strict woman sitting in front of her spilling all of her 'insane' ideas made Lily want to giggle, but she suppressed the urge.

Both of Lily's parents were staring at McGonagall, not understanding half of what she said.

"Magic," Mr. Evans whispered as if it was a confirmation to the weird things Lily had done in the past. Lily glanced up just in time to see Petunia leave the room, although nobody else noticed; Lily relaxed a little, guilty though that it was because she couldn't see her sister. "It's magic, what out Lilykins can do?" Lily watched her father's face light up like Christmas, and her mother was close behind. They had apparently gotten over their earlier astonishment.

McGonagall, however, was watching Lily with a slight frown. "You don't appear as surprised, Ms. Evans, now or when we first explained it."

She hesitated slightly. "My friend Severus lives down the street." Lily thought it best not to lie. "He told me several years ago after he saw me do some accidental magic. We've been talking about it ever since. I told my parents later."

McGonagall nodded. "So this makes it easier that you are already familiar with our world."

"Oh, Lily! We are so proud of you!" her mother squealed, hugging her youngest daughter tightly.

McGonagall withdrew a letter from her traveling cloak and handed it to Lily. Lily held it with trembling hands. Green ink was scrawled on the heavy parchment.

_Ms. Lily A. Evans_

_The Third Bedroom_

_Number 9, Durant Street_

_Cokeworth_

"As you already know, Hogwarts is a school for witches and wizards to study magic. There we will teach you not only how to use it but to control it as well. Inside you will find a list of all your supplies needed and your train ticket. You can purchase your things at Diagon Alley." McGonagall handed Lily a small bowl full of powder.

"This is Floo Powder. All Muggle-born homes are connected during the month of August. Take this, throw it into the fire, and say very clearly the Leaky Cauldron. Once you are there, ask for Tom the barman, and he will show you how to get in to Diagon Alley. Bring along some money to exchange at Gringotts, the wizard bank.

"To get onto Platform 9¾, walk through the bricks between Platforms 9 and 10. The train leaves at 11:00 am on September 1st. At Hogwarts you will call me and the rest of the teachers professor. Good day to you." McGonagall stood up, leaving Lily's parents still sitting.

"Just a warning, Gringotts is run by goblins." Without another word, Professor McGonagall and Mr. Manumali left.

* * *

><p>"Sev!" Lily yelled as she sprinted towards the playground. "Sev, I got my letter!"<p>

Severus jumped out of the swing he had been sitting in, his expression flipping from wallowing to uncontained joy. "Really? Who brought it to you?" he asked.

"Professor McGonagall and an old guy from the Muggle License Office, Mr. Man-something," Lily answered, still grinning widely. "I tried to remember which class she taught, but I couldn't. After all this time talking about Hogwarts, I forgot which teachers taught which classes." By the time she was done talking, her tone had gone from ecstatic to worried, and Severus rolled his eyes at Lily.

"You have nothing to worry about, Lils. You'll probably be one of the best witches in Hogwarts. Besides, memory loss only proves your human," snickered Severus.

"Hey," said Lily, pretending to be hurt.

"Joking. So what did your parents say?" asked Severus.

"They plan on taking me to Diagon Alley later today. I'm supposed to be back home in fifteen minutes for Mum and me to use Floo. They're so happy for me, Sev. It didn't take that long to get past their shock, and they are entirely supportive now they know it's not fake."

Severus' eyes tightened at the mention of parents, and Lily recognized her mistake at once.

"Oh, Sev, I'm so sorry. I completely-"

"It's fine. It would be impossible to stay mad at you anyway," said Severus.

Lily glanced at the empty playground as the awkwardness hung in the air between the two of them.

"Swings are free," she said from out of the blue. "Let's see who can jump higher!"

"Lily, I don't think we-" Severus started, but Lily paid no attention and pulled him over to the empty playground where the swings creaked quietly in the wind.

* * *

><p>"Richard, how much money do you think we should bring?" Mr. and Mrs. Evans were standing by the fireplace, considering how much money to exchange. Lily and her sister were arguing quietly in the kitchen where neither parent could hear, and Lily was putting every ounce of effort to not let Petunia see how badly it hurt to fight with her. Her walls were up with full power, refusing to let her think about the time before Lily found out she was a witch.<p>

"I'm sorry, Lily. I don't want to spend the rest of my life here hanging around such an abnormality," Petunia sniffed. Her arms were crossed, and she had a look of superiority on her face that annoyed Lily to no end. "It's good that you're going away for the rest of the year. People like you should not be around society. It's for our own safety. Who knows what barbaric things your kind might do to us?"

Lily was furious. "_Barbaric_? I'm still your sister!"

Petunia drew herself up to her full height. "You're still a little witch. A real sister would be nice and stay with her family."

Lily felt like she had been slapped in the face. She felt her temper rise, and she lowered her voice so her parents wouldn't hear if she unconsciously let it rise. "And my sister would say that because she's jealous she can't do magic herself," she hissed. It was a low blow, Lily knew, but Petunia could not look past her jealousy and was destroying their bond.

Petunia smirked. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not your sister."

"No, you're just a jealous bitch who takes it out on people who have what she doesn't."

Petunia seethed with fury. Lily knew it wasn't good to feel the satisfaction for Petunia's fury, but she couldn't help herself. She grinned at the sight of her sister going from pale to red, from red to purple, and from purple to an ugly color Lily couldn't even name.

"Lily, time to go!" her mother called from the living room.

Lily stepped away with one last look at her sister, and left the room.

* * *

><p>Both her parents were excited as they handed her the Floo Powder. Lily could only take her mother with her because a Muggle couldn't travel by Floo Powder alone, and all three couldn't fit in the fire place. Lily grabbed a handful, and the flames turned bright green. Stepping in with her mother clutching her hand, she yelled, "The Leaky Cauldron!"<p>

The green flames spun around Lily and her mother faster and faster. Lily couldn't close her eyes, and caught several glimpses of living rooms and a kitchen. Something hot stung her elbow, and she tucked it closer.

As if an invisible force was tugging at her, she stumbled out of the fire, still gripping her mother's hand tightly.

Lily stepped farther away, dragging her mother with her. A whoosh blew her hair, and an elderly wizard climbed out of the green fire behind her, shaking his head. "...got to remind people not to… dirty, little...third dead Puffskein this month..." he walked away, grumbling.

Lily looked around and couldn't say she was impressed with the entrance to Diagon Alley. The small, dingy pub was crowed with people, most of the wearing floor-length cloaks and robes. She suppressed a shiver as someone who didn't look entirely human ordered something that looked like raw meat. A small girl her age jumped off her chair at the sight and ran between her parents.

Lily and her mother were one of the few wearing Muggle clothes, earning a few weird looks from a couple of patrons ordering an amber liquid that fizzled and popped. Lily counted three people who wore Muggle clothes- a worn out couple sitting in the back as if they had just finished a marathon, but Lily thought they were trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, and the little blond girl who had squeaked in fright.

"Professor McGonagall said Tom the barman, right," her mother whispered. Lily clasped her mother's hand as her mother led her up to the barman. He was cleaning glasses and reminded Lily of a wizened, bald man near her house. He smiled a toothless smile as Lily and her mother approached.

"Excuse me, Professor McGonagall said you could help us get into Diagon Alley." Lily could barely hear her mother's reassuring voice over the babble.

"First time at Hogwarts? Need to get your supplies?" he asked kindly.

Lily nodded.

"The Prewetts are also going to Diagon Alley. I'm sure they can show you. Their daughter is also starting." He waved over a small family close to them. Lily saw the girl who had avoided the raw meat-eating woman earlier. Her round, friendly face was framed by curly blond hair, and her bright blue eyes were shining.

"Hi, I'm Alice Renée Prewett," the girl said pretentiously, holding out her hand. Lily took it, remembering Prewett as one of the names of an old pure-blood family Severus had told her about.

"Lily Evans."

Lily supposed the girl was friendly if a little overexcited; the way she pronounced her full name reminded Lily of what Petunia did when she was younger while Richard and Rose Evans' friends came by for tea. 'Good morning, you may call me Petunia Laurel Evans, and this is my sister, Lily. We are very pleased to meet you.'

Never mind the fact that Petunia had turned into the raging bitch that Lily could barely stand to be in the same room with.

"I don't recognize that surname," Alice Renée Prewett said while Lily swallowed hard; she had been in a Wizarding pub for one minute, and already people recognized her for a Muggle-born.

"Alice! Be more polite!" a woman who could only be her mother scolded. Her mother, who had just introduced herself to Lily's own mother, frowned at Alice.

"Sorry," Alice mumbled. Then she perked up. "Ever been to Diagon Alley?"

Lily almost laughed at her sudden mood change. Her mother answered for Lily. "This is her first time. Tom said you could show us."

"Of course," Alice's mother said. "I must say, I have never been properly introduced to a Muggle. Follow us. It's right around this door."

Lily followed Alice and her family to a tiny brick room towards the end of the pub. Her mother was talking animatedly to Mrs. Prewett. Lily heard questions that were close to making her crack up. Mr. and Mrs. Prewett were asking about simple appliances with amazement evident in their voices. Her own mother was trying not to smile. Alice and Lily were having their own conversations about the Muggle and Wizarding World.

"So the pictures never move? Weird!"

"But we have movies and videos for that," Lily explained.

"What's a movie?" If Lily didn't know that Alice was one of those witches that had no clue how things like cars worked, she would have thought Alice was being stupid on purpose.

Lily watched Mr. Prewett take out his wand and tap the bricks. Lily watched, amazed, as the bricks wiggled around as one single-minded body. Slowly, the hole expanded into a beautiful stone archway, filling the small room with bright sunlight.

"Wow," Lily said softly. Even though she and Severus had talked about Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and Hogwarts, she was still unprepared. Little shops had set up on either side of the street. People went from shop to shop, talking with friends, or bargaining in little stalls. Lily heard snippets of conversations, ranging from the price of potion ingredients to the favorites to win the Quidditch World Cup. Alice bounced beside her explaining some of the shops.

"Flourish and Blotts is probably the best place to buy books. They have almost everything that was ever written." Lily glanced up at the window display. Lily didn't doubt it. Every single spare inch was covered with stacks upon stacks of books. "Florean Fortescue owns an ice cream parlor up there. We should stop there." Alice pointed up the street to a small, crowded shop. Lily's stomach grumbled at the mention of ice cream.

"Alice, we need to stop at Gringotts," Mrs. Prewett said.

Alice grumbled something about the magnificent building and how her time would be better spent at the ice cream parlor.

"Are there really goblins?" Lily asked Alice, trying and failing to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

Alice looked surprised. "I forgot you were Muggle-born. Yeah, nasty little things. Thank Merlin, I don't usually have to go down to our vault. Each extra second with a goblin is a second that I don't want."

* * *

><p>The huge bank gleamed in the morning sun. They walked through the golden doors. Lily hastily changed her yelp to a cough as she caught sight of a goblin. He was no doubt the weirdest and ugliest creature she had ever met. His body was the same size as her's and Alice's, but his great, domed head was twice as big. The long fingers and feet had enough dirt to make her neat freak of a sister faint. His pointed teeth came into view as he smiled unpleasantly at her. She grabbed her mother's hand and saw the truth in Alice's words immediately.<p>

"You exchange Muggle money here." Mrs. Prewett led the girls and Lily's mother to a short goblin sitting behind a desk. Mr. Prewett withdrew a key and set off in a different direction. Lily shivered as the goblin leered at them, Mrs. Prewett took charge and cleared her throat. "We need to exchange Muggle money."

The goblin leaned over the desk. "How much?"

Lily's mother stepped forward. "150 pounds," she said in a strong voice. Lily admired the way her mother didn't flinch as the goblin glared at her a muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Muggles".

Alice stood quietly beside Lily as the goblin took the money and handed them bag that rattled with coins. Lily was desperate to get away from the goblin. She certainly didn't like any of them.

* * *

><p>At long last, the adults led them out of the cool bank and back into sunlight. She sighed in relief.<p>

"Only fifteen minutes at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. We're on a schedule," Mrs. Prewett said, leading them away towards the bright shop with a little wizard smiling cheerfully at them.

Lily wasn't sure if Alice heard her mother or not because she all but sprinted for the ice cream shop. Lily followed and was thankful that there were few people in the line although after thirty seconds, at least a dozen people lined up after them. Talk about luck.

"How nice to see you again, Ms. Prewett. It's been, what, six weeks since you were last here? I've been missing my favorite customer. I'm presuming the usual?" asked a man that Lily guessed was Florean Fortescue. Lily noticed that he addressed Alice first, which she seemed proud of, though Fortescue greeted Lily just as warmly as he did Alice.

"The same for both of us," said Alice, pointing at Lily and herself. The adults hung out in the back and ordered ice cream cones that Alice's and Lily's waffle cones dwarfed by a lot. It only took a wave of Florean Fortescue's wand to Summon the ice cream. Alice took both eagerly while Fortescue turned to a young couple about twenty. She handed Lily her cone one they were away from the counter.

"So, when did you learn about wizards?" Alice asked while they both slurped their chocolate-and-mint ice cream happily. Their parents were sitting at the next table, talking about Merlin knew what.

"My friend told me several years ago."

"Who's your friend? In the name of Merlin's pointed hat..." said Alice as a large chunk of her ice cream fell to the ground and quickly melted in the August heat. Lily had always assumed that witches and wizards had many of the same sayings as Muggles, but she shouldn't have been surprised that it was different like so many other things. Lily made a note to not use Muggle sayings in Hogwarts; it might just end up confusing pure-bloods like Alice.

"Severus Snape," Lily answered. She looked at Alice, hoping to see a sign of recognition. To her disappointment there was none. "So, is all your family magic?"

Alice nodded. "All of them. It sucks when you have to choose which team to support during a Quidditch game. What about you?"

Lily shook her head. "My family's Muggle all the way. I hope I'm not too far behind when I get to school."

"You won't be. Lots of people come from wizard families, and they still don't know anything, including me. Do you have any idea what House you'll be in?"

Shaking her head, she said, "I don't know exactly what their differences are. Severus says I should be in Slytherin. That's the House he wants to be in." Lily knew at once she had said something wrong because Alice nearly choked on her ice cream.

She stared disbelievingly at Lily. "How much does your friend know about Hogwarts?"

Lily was slightly offended. Alice didn't even know Severus. "What's wrong with wanting to be in a House before you get there?"

Alice looked like she was trying to find the right thing to say. "Well, it's just that most Slytherins…don't like Muggle-borns..." Alice trailed off, watching Lily carefully.

"But we're all witches and wizards. Why should they like me less?"

Alice looked down uncomfortably. "Did Snape ever tell you about the prejudices a lot of pure-bloods and a few half-bloods have about Muggle-borns and Muggles?"

"You're pure-blood. I don't see any differences between you and me," Lily pointed out, wondering what Alice was talking about.

Alice suddenly shot her head up with a defiant expression of her face. "I'm one of the few pure-bloods who think that way. Most of the others call people like me and my family blood -traitors because we treat Muggles and Muggle-borns the same way. Most of the Slytherins are prejudice against people like you. _That's_ why you don't want to be in Slytherin. _That's_ why I was wondering how much your friend knows about the Wizarding World."

Lily was taken aback. She not expecting sweet Alice to suddenly start ranting about her friend's favorite house. She said the first subject changer she could think of. "What about the other houses? What do they do?" She was wary of how much of the truth Alice was telling her. Severus was her friend and wanted to be in Slytherin. They couldn't be that bad.

Alice's voice softened, and she said, "Godric Gryffindor was known as the champion of Muggle-borns in his time, so it is extremely rare to find Muggle-born haters in that house. Gryffindor House is known for bravery and chivalry. It's good for when a girl needs help carrying a lot of stuff."- Alice laughed- "People say Hufflepuff is just a bunch of duffers, but that's because Hufflepuff isn't as picky. They favor loyalty and friendship. Ravenclaw is the smart house."

"Are you girl's going to sit there talking, or are you going to get your things?" Their parents had stood up.

"You girls can go look at the robes." Lily's mother handed her some gold coins which she put in her coat pocket. "Meet at Flourish and Blotts in thirty minutes." It seemed that Lily's mother had found two new best friends if she was willing to split their group.

Lily and Alice nodded and then jogged quickly to Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

* * *

><p>The tiny store had a beautiful display of royal blue robes with gold stars in the window. The bell tinkered as Lily and Alice entered the store.<p>

"Mum, please!"

Lily saw a rather thick blond boy with a scrunched face beg his mother. Lily's first impression was a blond gorilla. He was, without a doubt, unattractive. It appeared that his mother had given her son the unattractive genes.

Alice stiffened beside her. "Don't say anything. The Mulcibers are one of those families," she whispered in Lily's ear. Lily knew immediately what Alice meant. They were prejudice pure-bloods.

Looking at the two, Lily felt an uneasy feeling crawl along her back, sending shivers through her body, not unlike Manumali. There wasn't much she knew about defensive magic, and as much as Alice was familiar with the magical world, she doubted they could take on a qualified witch and a boy who looked like he could wrestle a bear; the only other people in the store were a father with his son standing farther away.

Mrs. Mulciber turned and sneered at them. "Alice Prewett. What is a little blood-traitor like you doing here. Disgracing the name of wizard just like your parents?"

Lily knew immediately she didn't like them. She opened her mouth to answer, but Alice elbowed her and answered, "I don't need to do much. You do that by yourself."

The boy next to her walked up and glared at them. "Don't you dare talk to my mother like that, Prewett."

The mother's hand twitched toward her wand. Lily saw this and couldn't stop herself. "Yes, that shows such bravery, hexing two unarmed eleven-year-olds."

Damn. Why couldn't she keep her mouth shut?

The boy glowered at Lily, but she didn't back down. Regardless of her mistake, Lily knew that the two couldn't do much with at least one hundred wizards and witches outside the shop.

"Nobody asked you. What's your surname anyway?"

Alice grabbed Lily's arm. "Her name's Lily." She glared fiercely at Mulciber.

"You might want to leave," a calm voice said. The man she had seen earlier was coming over. He was staring directly at Mrs. Mulciber. His face was calm, but his eyes blazed. The scrawny boy behind him was Lily's own age. Lily wondered vaguely if he had ever used a comb as his jet-black hair stuck up in every direction. The boy glanced at Lily and Alice, grinning. His eyes sparkled mischievously, leaving Lily to wonder if she had all of her possessions on her still.

"You're right. Too many blood-traitors here for my taste." The woman put a hand on her son's shoulder and turned to leave.

The man laughed a booming laugh. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said as the door swung shut with a final tinkle of a bell.

A kind woman hurried forward to Alice and Lily after Mulicer and his mother left. "Hogwarts, dears?" They nodded. "I just finished with James. It's his first year as well."

"Have a good year, Prewett?" the boy names James asked. Lily noticed that, like Mulciber, he addressed Alice by her surname, but unlike Mulciber, there was no trace of contempt.

"I would have, but you stuck a Dungbomb in the bathroom during the Ministry party at my house," Alice said, glaring at James.

"Ah, you know me too well, Prewett. I like to have fun."

Alice couldn't reply as Madame Malkin had just called Lily and Alice over.

"Mrs. Potter is a good friend of my mum, and Mr. Potter is a high ranking Auror. They usually go to my family's Ministry parties. Don't give James Stink Pellets unless you want your clothes full of them," Alice quickly explained as the door shut behind James and his father.

* * *

><p>They left Madame Malkin's in high spirits with their brand new robes under their arm. Lily and Alice spent the rest of the day together. Mrs. Prewett had convinced Lily and her mother that owls were much more useful than cats or toads. So now Lily held a cage with a beautiful snowy owl, asleep with his head under his wing. Lily didn't like the smells of the apothecary. She definitely didn't want to see her ice cream reappear. Every once in a while, Alice would point out something or someone interesting, like a new invention. The display in Quality Quidditch Supplies was barely visible because of number of kids pressing their noses against the glass. Among the crowd was James, but he didn't notice them.<p>

"They're just staring at the newest model of a broomstick," Alice explained. Lily noticed a hint of longing in her voice. Alice glanced at her and went slightly pink. "Yes, boys are not the only people to obsess with Quidditch."

Lily laughed. "Don't worry, I love football. Muggle sport," she added at Alice's confusion.

"We still have to get your wand." Lily's mother was ticking items off the list.

Lily felt her excitement mount swiftly. A magic wand, that was what she wanted more than anything.

"We'll meet up at the Leaky Cauldron later," Alice told her. "I already got my wand." She pulled out a long, shiny strip of wood. "Alder. Eight inches with dragon heartstring. Bendy." She caressed the wand in her hands, and looked up at Lily. "You'll have to show me yours."

"You'll want to go to Ollivander's. They're definitely the best." Mr. Prewett pointed to a shabby shop with a single wand lying on a faded red cloth.

* * *

><p>Lily and her mother entered. All the walls were covered with row upon row of thin boxes.<p>

"Good afternoon."

Lily jumped. An old man with silver hair appeared between two shelves. "Hello," Lily said nervously, "Er, I need a wand."

Lily glanced at her mother who was sitting in a rickety old chair, looking just as out of place as Lily felt, though Lily's mother handled it with much more dignity than Lily.

"Of course. You'll find that the wand chooses the wizard, or, in your case, witch. Getting your first wand is much more complicated than shopping for your schoolbooks."

Lily glanced at her mother, wondering if perhaps she had to perform some hocus-pocus before Ollivander deemed her fit to carry a wand. Lily's mind immediately went to the old books that she and Severus had spent hours pouring over in their shaded grove. She had never practiced any of them, and Severus had assured her that it was much more difficult to do spells without a wand. Was this perhaps a test? If you could perform wandless spells, then you could show enough magic to get a wand? Test difficult things before people make it easier? Like when Muggle math teachers forbid you to use a calculator, but in high school it was expected of you to carry a calculator.

"No two Ollivander wands are the same. Each element in the wand points to something about somebody's character. For example, oak symbolizes physical power and protection while mahogany is courage and nobility-"

"Alder?" asked Lily, curious as to what Alice's wand wood meant.

Mr. Ollivander smiled slightly. "I remember every wand I ever sold, Ms. Evans. I'm assuming that you are inquiring about young Ms. Prewett's wand; she was in here not too long ago. Alder is passion and determination. But for now, I need your measurements first," he said, pulling out a tape measure. "Which is your wand hand?"

"I'm right-handed?" she said as Mr. Ollivander left the measurer to itself. She said it like a question.

Mr. Ollivander withdrew a faded yellow box. "Holly and dragon heartstring. Ten inches. Unyielding." Lily had barely taken the wand before it was snatched from her hand. He chose another wand a little farther back. "Mahogany and phoenix feather. Seven and a half inches. Brittle." Again, Mr. Ollivander had let Lily hold it for less than a second. On and on the process went. The pile grew, but that didn't seem to deter Mr. Ollivander. He just got more excited the more wands Lily tried and failed to use.

"Ah, I think this would be a good match." He pulled out a light blue box and showed it to Lily. "Ten and a quarter inches with a single unicorn hair. Swishy, made of willow. Excellent for charm work."

Inside was a lightly colored wand with beautiful lilies and leaves etched into a vine-like pattern that curled and twisted to the tip of the wand. The thicker portion of the wand served as a handle.

He handed Lily the wand, and a sudden warmth spread to her fingers when she took it. Red and gold sparks flew from the end. Lily smiled in her thrilling triumph while her mother beamed with pride.

"Bravo, bravo!"Mr. Ollivander clapped. "We have a winner!"

* * *

><p>Lily and her mother had a supper at the Leaky Cauldron with Alice and her parents. Both of their mothers barely paid any attention to their food. Mrs. Prewett was telling Lily's mother about several recipes that many witches and wizards used. Lily's mother was particularly interested in Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and the number of flavors. Mr. Prewett was also involved in the conversation but not as much as the mothers.<p>

Alice and Lily were talking about Hogwarts.

"About half of my family have been in Ravenclaw. Both my mother and grandfather were in Gryffindor. I'm aiming to be in Gryffindor, but I bet my father would be prouder if I was in Ravenclaw. My Gran was in Hufflepuff, so I could be in any of the Houses."

Lily had been smart enough not to mention Severus and Slytherin again, so she settled on the possibilities of all Houses. "Does it usually run in families?"

Alice shook her head. "Usually, but not always. Andromeda Black is probably the most mild tempered Slytherin. All her family has been in Slytherin, but she's dating a Muggle-born in Hufflepuff. She would be better in a different House. But don't tell her family about her boyfriend. The Blacks are one of the most prejudice families out there."

Lily twirled her fork in her mashed potatoes. "I wish I knew which House I'll be in."

"Nobody knows until they get there. I'm betting Gryffindor for you. Anyone who is brave enough to stand up to the wife of a Death Eater at the age of eleven and not back down has certainly proved your bravery."

"Or stupid enough to." Lily added, and Alice laughed.

Alice was a lot different than Severus. He would still always be her first friend, but Alice could answer her questions with a lot more ease. Severus had never talked about the real feelings of some prejudice wizards. Lily was torn between wanting to be with Alice's House or with Severus in Slytherin.

"Time to leave, Lily." Her mother had just finished saying good-bye to Mrs. Prewett.

Alice hugged Lily good-bye. "See you at Hogwarts!"

Smiling, Lily grabbed her mother's arm and stepped into the green fire.


	2. Boarding the Hogwarts Express

**Boarding the Hogwarts Express**

_Lily POV_

"I'm telling you, Lily, with all this studying we're doing, we'll be the best in the class," said Severus as they sat on Lily's bed, pouring over _Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1._

Lily's bedroom had turned into their informal practice room. All of her decorations had been pushed aside as the two of them made space to practice magic. Lily's stuffed animals and dolls had been thrown into a precarious pile by her closet while the desk supplies were shoved unceremoniously into already-full drawers.

Signs of magic were already visible. There was a giant blotch of color on her wall when Severus had turned the light blue wall a green that matched Lily's eyes. While Severus had tried over and over again to apologize, Lily had found it hilarious, saying that it added character to her room with the different colors. Only Petunia had been furious at the colors changing in the house, regardless of the bedroom; Lily's parents were encouraging them to keep practicing, and Severus had been overjoyed when he saw how much it annoyed Petunia. Lily's brand new cauldron was in one corner with her potions ingredients ready to be used.

Lily smiled in reply. "It depends on how much the pure-bloods learn at home," she said while she flipped to the page of the Simple Lighting Spell.

A loud hoot caused Severus and Lily to jump. Her snowy owl landed in front of Lily, holding a dead mouse clamped in her beak. Lily stroked her soft feathers.

"Have you decided to name your owl yet, Lily? She needs a name," said Severus as he stared at Lily and her owl.

Lily's lower lip jutted forward a little, almost like she was pouting, but this was just how she looked when she was thinking hard. "I suppose…Marigold?"

"Marigold? Why Marigold?"

Lily grinned devilishly and said, "Because that is what Petunia would name her daughter if she ever had one. Imagine how she would react if she found out I called my_ owl_ Marigold, possibly the most witch-like thing besides the wand and cauldron."

Severus stared at her for one second and then started cracking up. "Only you, Lils, could change a conversation that fast with a few wisecrack jokes."

Lily quickly joined, but almost as soon as she had started, she stopped. "Really, though, how many pure-bloods study at home?" she asked as Marigold the owl nibbled affectionately on her ear after swallowing the mouse.

Severus snorted. "Most of those people just sit and order the house-elves around after trying and failing to play Quidditch, and-what's wrong?" he asked a frowning Lily.

"It's going to take a long time to get used to belonging to a world with legalized slavery," sighed Lily.

"The house-elves don't care."

"Yes, but still-" said Lily, "It's not right for wizards to take advantage of another race just because they can. At least give them sick days and vacations if they need them. Just because they're wizards' slaves doesn't mean that they shouldn't be happy." Lily looked to Severus in confirmation, but he was trying hard not to laugh.

"Lily," he started seriously, but Lily detected the smile in his eyes, "If you say that to one of Hogwarts house-elves, they'll be extremely insulted. If you want to do something for them, just be extremely nice and thankful to the elves. They'll probably end up falling over each other for your praise."

"Do they usually not get praised by wizards?"

"No, but their idea of happiness is how much their masters love their work."

"That isn't right!"

"I know, but it's the most you can do for them. Let's try some of these spells out."

She ran her finger down the page until she found what seemed like a simple incantation. Lily carefully mouthed the word _lumos_ under her breath. Taking in a deep breath, she said clearly, "_Lumos._"

She watched with amazement as the tip of her willow wand sparked, went out for a moment, and then lit up. Severus cheered before trying the spell with his own wand.

"We did it! We did magic, Sev!" Lily squealed and pulled her friend in for a tight hug. Technically, it wasn't the first time for Lily, but saying the word out loud and causing her wand tip to light up like a very bright flashlight made Lily feel a sense of accomplishment that she hadn't been able to feel before.

Severus blushed faintly as Lily pulled away, but she ignored it, to caught up in her own joy. "Let's go down to the park for a little, Sev, before Mummy makes dinner."

"Sure. Whatever you say."

Grinning, Lily took Severus' hand and pulled him out of the door and down the hall. Nothing could happen to distract her from the happiness she felt as she and Severus made magic. She didn't care if her mother came up and said that supper was done thirty minutes early, she didn't care if a terrible storm below in and ruined any chance of playing at the park, and she didn't care if Petunia-

"What's that?" Severus asked, pointing to Petunia's room.

Lily's wall immediately went up just like they always did whenever Petunia was involved.

"What's what?" she asked cautiously, peering into Petunia's room. It was very tidy, the exact opposite of Lily's. Where Lily's was bursting with snapshots and little trinkets that showed her personality, Petunia's bedroom made Lily think of office buildings. There was a picture of Petunia and her parents and little else. A stab of misery cut into Lily as she noticed that there was no picture of Lily, no memory of her. When Lily was younger, she had always been awed by how neat Petunia was, but now she didn't like it: it was just another reminder of how different the two sisters were.

Lily saw an open letter sitting on Petunia's desk. With the lack of decorating, it stood out a mile, and Lily's curiosity got the better of her; it was Sunday, and no Muggle post came on Sunday, so it must have been a wizard's letter, but why would Petunia be writing to a wizard? She had made it quite clear that she hated Lily and the Wizarding World.

Lily walked forward with Severus scurrying behind her. "Um, Lily? I don't think we should be here 'cause we're probably going to get caught. Maybe we should come back when your sister _isn't _in the kitchen just down the stairs."

"So go," Lily said quietly, still focusing on the wizard letter that was laying on Petunia's desk, wide open, waiting to be read...

Lily picked it up cautiously and read,

_Dear Ms. Petunia Evans,_

_I am so sorry that I cannot enroll you in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We can only accept students who have demonstrated the ability to use magic. _

_While you are a wonderful student, and Hogwarts could use somebody with your dedication and hard work, you wouldn't be able to complete most of the classes without the ability to perform magic. _

_I understand that you wish to be with your sister and be there for her like you have been in the past, but you must attend school in your own world. There are many opportunities awaiting somebody like you in your own world, and I am sure that you will succeed. _

_I wish you the best of luck._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

"She tried to get into Hogwarts!" Severus said loudly. "I thought she hated us, the hypocrite. How did she think that a _Muggle_ could get into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." There was a scornful emphasis on Muggle, like he could hardly believe that Petunia tried to insult Hogwarts by making them waste their time on a Muggle.

Lily let Severus' words slide over her ears like water while she reread the line again and again.

…_I understand that you wish to be with your sister and be there for her…_

Petunia had wanted to go so she could be with Lily.

Lily held back the sad tears in front of Severus; if he could see her reaction to something that involved Petunia, well, it wasn't something that she needed now. Somehow, despite all the talk about how much Petunia hated her and had no wish to associate with a 'freak', Petunia had still sought out a way for them to be sisters and be together.

In Lily's mind, that spoke louder than anything that Petunia had ever said to her.

* * *

><p>"So is it true?" Lily asked, swinging higher and higher with each word. It had been one week since Diagon Alley, and Lily was asking Severus the same thing over and over. And over and over she didn't get an answer.<p>

Severus shrugged. "It depends. To some people it might appear extreme, but to others, it doesn't really matter." With all the subject changes and tricks to really avoid straight answers, Lily thought he sounded a bit like a politician.

"Sev, I really need to know how people really treat people like me," Lily said, dragging her feet on the ground to slow down the swing.

"You won't have to face that, Lils. You're too…" Severus looked down while he talked, and Lily knew he wasn't telling the full truth. Being friends for several years certainly had some advantages.

"What aren't you telling me?" Lily demanded.

He finally looked her in the eye. "There are some pure-blood families that won't like you as much."

"Who?"

Severus shrugged. "Just a couple. But when they know you, they won't care."

Lily was starting to get frustrated. What was so wrong about a straight answer for once? "Sev, just tell me who they are and what they have to do with Slytherin."

"Who said anything about Slytherin." Severus jerked his head up angrily. "That sounds like bias to me. Who told you this anyway?"

"Alice Prewett."

Lily was not expecting her friend to start laughing at the name. "Prewett?" he asked. "The Prewetts hate Slytherins and some of the families that are there."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "What do you have against Alice? Her family is really nice."

Severus backtracked immediately. "Alice? Since when are you on a first name basis with someone you've only known for a day? You're my friend."

Lily felt her temper flare slightly in defense for her newest friend. "We met at the Leaky Cauldron, and her family showed us around Diagon Alley. I think I can call her my friend. You're not the only person I'm going to be hanging around with," she said in a quiet voice.

Lily watched as Severus grew more uncomfortable. "You don't even know if you will be in the same House. Why would you be friends with her?"

"How do I know if I'll be in the same House as you? I have just as much right to choose new friends as you do."

Severus opened his mouth to respond, but Lily cut across him again. "I have to go. I'll be late for supper."

* * *

><p>"Petunia, make sure you're ready to go tomorrow," Lily's father said, swallowing his last mouthful of lasagna.<p>

"Why? My school doesn't start until next week," Petunia said.

"We're dropping your sister off at the train station to say good-bye," her father said sternly. Lily's parents had only heard a small bit of the fighting from the two sisters. They were under the impression that Petunia was only angry because Lily wasn't going to be around during the year. Lily knew full well that was the only thing Petunia was _happy_ about. Her parents hadn't heard her sister call her a freak or weirdo. Petunia was quite the actress when her parents were listening.

"But, Mummy! I don't want to go," Petunia moaned.

"Now, now, Petunia," her mother said, "We should all be there to say good-bye to Lily. You're not going to see her until Christmas."

Petunia waited until her parents were out of earshot to hiss at her sister, "Don't you dare come home for Christmas. That will be my present. Stay at your freaky little school. Nobody wants you here."

All thoughts about the letter disappeared from Lily's mind quicker than a Vanishing Spell. While she knew that Petunia still cared deep down, the way Petunia was addressing her hurt and anger caused Lily's earlier forgiveness to evaporate with barely a second thought.

"Good thing I wasn't planning on getting you any presents, then. You'll see me in a couple of months," she shot back, and Lily ran upstairs before her sister could reply.

She slammed the door behind her while tears were threatening to fall. All week she had faced nothing but insults and suggestions to stay away. Her sister was jealous, and there was nothing Lily could do to get her sister back. She hadn't had a proper conversation with Petunia since last year. There had been too many arguments to count. The last time Petunia had had a play date with Lily was two years ago, when everybody had been both uneasy and worried of her 'mysterious' power.

It was impossible to see the connection between the Petunia who wrote the letter, her sister, and the jealous girl currently throwing a tantrum downstairs.

Lily wanted her sister back, but Petunia didn't seem to want Lily back, no matter what the letter said. Lily could see the letter as the last straw; the final hope at reconciliation, and it was gone. _P__oof._ Disappeared into the wind forever.

She looked at her trunk. Her spell books were in a pile next to it with her wand lying next to the cauldron. Carefully, she took her Muggle clothes and set them on her school robes. The school books were packed in a tidy pile with several of her favorite Muggle stories next to them, including The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. Taking all the time in the world, she packed as slowly as she could, letting her eyes dry.

Lily started as someone knocked on the door.

"Lily?" she heard her mother's voice, quiet and cautious. "Lily, can I come in?"

"Sure," Lily's one word response got stuck halfway in her throat.

"Petunia's upset about something. Would you mind telling me what?"

Lily flushed. Petunia's upset? She was the one who didn't want her here. What gave her the right? "Petunia just wants me to leave."

"She said she had been trying to get you to talk to her. What did you tell her?"

"I didn't say anything! Tuney's the one who doesn't want to speak to _me_!" Lily was yelling before she could stop herself. If Petunia was trying to make herself out as the good daughter, Lily wouldn't stand for it. "All she does is tease me about not being normal. She thinks I'm a freak."

Her mother immediately pulled her youngest daughter into a consoling hug. "I'm sure you two are just at a misunderstanding. You'll get over it eventually."

Lily laughed, but there was no humor in the situation, and Lily knew it. "Tuney's jealous that she can't come with me." Lily flinched, remembering her sister's letter to Professor Dumbledore. How different it would have been if Petunia was also invited, she thought longingly. "And now she's taking it out on me and Severus."

Lily desperately wanted her mother to say something, to give Lily one of those little speeches she had given when Lily was younger, that everything was going to be alright, but her mother seemed lost for words, something that Lily had never known to happen to Rose Evans. Lily fought back tears and hugged her mother closer. Even a pat on the head would do.

"I'll help you pack. Goodness knows you would break your back with all those books." She gave Lily a small smile. Just the sight of the familiar gesture filled Lily with contentment, replacing the hurt and anger. She nodded, wanting the happiness to last as long as she could.

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"Good-bye, sweetie. Don't forget to write to us," James' mother said, hugging him tightly.

"Mum, you're embarrassing me." James's voice was muffled. He was finally going to Hogwarts after years and years of waiting and planning (planning for excellent pranks, of course). Excitement bubbled in his stomach. Here was proof he was old enough to not be treated like a child. He was ready. With his wand in his pocket, his Invisibility Cloak, and all the prankster goodies from Zonko's, all he needed was the perfect partner-in-crime.

The platform was crowded with families. People all around him were yelling to catch the attention of friends or saying good-bye to their parents.

"Let him breathe, Dorea," Charlus Potter told his wife. He clapped his son on the shoulder and, peering down at him, said, "You make your old man proud, now. Try to keep from getting detentions and don't stick anymore Dungbombs in the toilet."

James grinned. He loved his parents, but he sometimes felt they didn't understand how to have fun. "Dad, you know me."

"And that's why I'm asking you not to stick Dungbombs in the toilet," he replied without missing a beat.

James huffed. "Fine. I won't stick Dungbombs in the toilet." _Maybe under the desks. _He pulled his trunk and owl onto the train.

Before he closed the door, he could hear his mother say disapprovingly, "You do realize he will probably stick Dungbombs somewhere else, right?"

Charlus laughed at his wife. "Then where is the fun in life, Dorea?"

James kept his trunk close to him. It was slightly disconcerting to be half as tall as most of the students. He hurried forward, squeezing through gaps that most fourth years wouldn't be able to get through. He ran, desperately hoping to find a fellow first year.

All the compartments were full of older students, some of whom stared at the running James. He was nearing the back of the train until he found one with only a single student so small she had to be a first year. Another boy was reaching to open the door.

"Hey, wait!" The boy turned. His long black hair was at his chin, and at first James was reminded of his less favorite cousins from his mother's side even though he had only seen some of them once at a Ministry party.

"Who are you?" the boy asked suspiciously

"James Potter," he said holding out his hand. It would be good to get on the friendly side of some people before he made any enemies.

"Sirius," the boy said, shaking the hand. James noticed that he didn't offer his last name, but he pushed it aside although he was sure the boy looked familiar.

James opened the door and poked his head through. "Can we sit here?" he asked the girl with a pretty mane of dark red hair that was wavy bordering on almost curly.

The girl nodded, not even bothering to look up at them. James tried to see her expression, but her hair shielded her face from any onlookers. Something about her was vaguely familiar. James knew he wouldn't forget someone with that color of hair completely.

Sirius noticed this too, but he didn't try to be subtle. "Hey, redhead. Got a name?"

"Lily." Short and simple. She didn't even ask who he and Sirius were.

Her name rung a bell, but he couldn't remember. "Got a last name?" James asked.

The girl still didn't turn around when she answered, "Evans."

Sirius shrugged at James who realized they were not going to get a second answer. "Know who the new Keeper for England is?" James asked, casting his mind around for a subject changer.

Before Sirius could answer, the door opened again.

"Sorry, everywhere else is full. Do you mind?" A pale boy with dirty blond hair asked. James couldn't help but notice the long scars on his neck and hands. James would have bet his broomstick that there were more lines on his arm, which were hidden under long sleeves.

"No problemo, compañero." Sirius said, scooting aside for the boy.

* * *

><p>It had been thirty minutes since the train left the station, and James and Sirius were soon becoming the best of friends. The scarred boy, whom James had later learned was named Remus Lupin, was currently reading a book while James and Sirius played a rather vicious game of Exploding Snap. A plump boy with watery blue eyes called Peter Pettigrew had joined them a little while after Remus had. He watched the games, clapping whenever someone won a round. Nobody noticed that Lily still had not shifted positions.<p>

"Are you kidding me?" Sirius yelled after James had won the tenth round. "This is sooo not fair."

James grinned at his new friend. "I'm just playing. Nothing is different from what you're doing."

"Well, you're obviously doing something different because your winning _every friggen' time_!"

"Call it luck." He and Sirius continued their argument, and James barely noticed as a first year boy with long, greasy black hair and an abnormally large, hooked nose enter and sit across from the redhead.

"Never, I tell you, _never_ have I met anybody who won this much in Exploding Snap, a game mostly based on luck!" Sirius cried.

"Well, now you have," James said.

"...you better be in Slytherin," the boy with the greasy hair said to Lily.

James didn't mean to eavesdrop, but they were right next to them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lily brighten a little.

He immediately knew he didn't like either of them. Anyone in Slytherin was a prejudice git as far as he was concerned, and James couldn't help himself. "Slytherin? Who wants to be in Slytherin? I'd think I leave, wouldn't you?" James saw with satisfaction a glare from the greasy haired boy.

James looked at Sirius, who wan't smiling. "My whole family's been in Slytherin."

What? But then why was he nice?

"Blimey, and I thought you seemed alright."

Sirius grinned. "Maybe I'll break the tradition,"

_Ah, I think you will be my best friend now, _James thought.

"Where are you heading, if you've got a choice?"

James imagined he was holding the legendary Sword of Gryffindor. "Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart, like my dad."

James heard a snort and had almost forgotten the two people sitting by the window. His dislike of the boy deepened even further, but James noticed Lily wasn't saying anything. "Got a problem with that?"

Lily was now glaring at James. He suddenly recognized her as the girl who Alice had been showing around Diagon Alley. He couldn't help but wonder why a Muggle-born would want to be in Slytherin, but the thought quickly vanished as he looked her in the eyes. They were the brightest green he had ever seen. The bright sun shining through the window only intensified the brilliance. James knew he would never see those kind of eyes on anybody else.

"No," said the greasy haired git, though his slight sneer said otherwise. James directed his attention back to him. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy – "

James had a retort on the tip of his tongue, but Sirius beat him to it. "Where you're hoping to go, seeing as your neither."

_Ah, I _know_ you will be my best friend now._

Lily stood up, glaring angrily at both he and Sirius. James inwardly shivered. For an eleven-year-old, she certainly did have a fierce glower. "Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment," she told her pallid faced friend named Severus.

"Ooooo…" James and Sirius teased. Both Lily and Severus walked past them. James let Lily pass without interference, knowing it would not be very chivalrous to trip a lady, no matter how angry she was with him, but James held no reservations for Severus. He stuck his leg out, and Severus stumbled. Neither of them showed any sign toward them.

"See ya, Snivellus!" James called as Lily slammed the compartment door on their faces in anger.

"Ha! Brilliant name, James," Sirius said as they high-fived.

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

"Do you know who that was?" Lily asked as they made their way down to the end of the train.

Severus shook his head. "No, you?"

Lily huffed. "Unfortunately. I met him and a boy named Mulciber at Madame Malkin's." They weren't even to school yet, and people were already picking on Severus and her. Severus quickened his step as if determined to get as far away from Potter as possible. Lily couldn't blame him. He seemed like an arrogant bully to Lily.

"Lily!" a familiar voiced called behind her.

Alice Prewett was jumping at the sight of the redheaded witch. "Come and sit with us."

"Hi, Alice!" Lily beamed. She consented and motioned for Severus to follow. He did, though reluctantly.

Alice was practically bouncing with energy by the time Lily and Severus entered the open door.

"This is Dorcas Meadows." She motioned at a pretty brunette with wide eyes. Dorcas smiled shyly at Lily and Severus. Lily smiled back, trying to sooth the girl's nervousness. Severus merely nodded while Lily shot him a questioning look. Did Severus want to sit with other people besides Alice and the two girls?

Alice continued without noticing anything. "Marlene McKinnon." A girl taller than both Lily and Alice with intense eyes the color of chocolate and a shiny sheet of dark brown hair waved at both of them. Lily was reminded of the gazelles she saw at the zoo as a little girl; Marlene was certainly graceful enough, even when sitting, to match them. She felt a small pang of jealousy hit her. Marlene looked beautiful without even trying. Lily was suddenly disgusted with herself for thinking such thoughts before she even knew Marlene.

"This is Severus." Lily stepped aside so the girls could get a clear view of her childhood friend.

"Hello," he said. The look on his face clearly said he wanted to get away, particularly from Alice.

Alice stiffened, but Lily was grateful that she tried to be civil and polite. "How are you? Lily's told me about you." Lily noticed she didn't mention her own thoughts about him.

"Fine," he replied coolly.

Dorcas whistled quietly in the corner and muttered something that sounded like "Awkward".

"I'm Lily Evans," Lily introduced herself to the other girls. She sat and shot a warning look at Severus. Her meaning was clear. _If you need to say something, wait. We can wait until we get to school_. Severus just nodded and seated himself as far away from the other girls as he could.

Marlene smiled serenely. "Hello. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"So, anyone know which Houses you'll want to be in?" Dorcas said loudly, hoping to break some of the tension between Alice and Severus, for they were both glaring at each other.

"Gryffindor. Both of my parents were in it. I have to hold up the tradition, don't I?" Marlene replied in a joking manner. Dorcas giggled.

"My mother was in Hufflepuff. People say I'm a lot like my mother. I think I'm more like my father, and if he was a wizard, he probably would have been in Ravenclaw. I'm good in any House. As long as it's not Slytherin," she added hastily, "I've heard some of them can be nasty to Muggle-borns, and I have no wish hanging around people like that."

"Gryffindor," Alice said adamantly.

"What about you, Lily?" Marlene asked kindly. Lily felt all of her previous jealousy disappear. Marlene was obviously not somebody to flaunt her beautiful features with arrogance. She was genuinely kind.

Lily glanced at Severus before replying, "I think any House would be good."

"She's got a lot of Gryffindor qualities," Alice said proudly. "You should have seen her have a go at the Mulcibers."

"Really?" Dorcas asked, "I would have been terrified. The one time I saw them was when my mother pointed them out. How about you, Severus?"

Lily jumped slightly. Her friend had been so quiet she had nearly forgotten about him. He shrugged. "Don't really know."

"Oh," Dorcas said.

Lily sneaked a glance at the uncomfortable Severus while the girls started chatting about whether Honeydukes Sweet Shop was better than Zonko's. Lily couldn't help but thinking how uncomfortable this school year would be with both Alice and Severus as her friends.


	3. Lily's Sorting

**Lily's Sorting**

"Firs' years, this way! Firs' years, this way, please! Come alon' now, don' be shy!"

_Not likely,_ Lily thought. The man calling for her and her peers was the largest man Lily had ever seen. Almost four times as tall as Lily was (which wasn't saying much, since she was tiny for eleven) and many more times wide, he was at the least intimidating and at the most positively terrifying. A huge mass of wild hair covered his face, but his eyes twinkled kindly as Lily, Alice, Severus, and Marlene approached. Dorcas was talking to a new friend she had met on the way to the bathroom.

"Wow," someone said softly behind her.

Lily's good mood was ruined when she looked at the four boys behind her. She instantly recognized James and Sirius from the beginning of the train ride. Behind them was the quiet boy with the scars. Lily liked him better since he at least hadn't taken part in any of James and Sirius's teasing. The plump boy whom Lily remembered was Peter something trailed behind him, staring at the two little ringleaders in complete awe.

_Great, just great, _Lily thought, _All they need to inflate their egos more are admirers._

James grinned at Lily. "All right, Evans?"

Lily huffed and turned away, surprised that people were already addressing her by her surname. She saw Severus glaring at them.

"Righ'. Firs' years, yer gonna follow me ter the boats." The giant of a man waved a hand the size of a trash can lid while oblivious to exchange between the two groups.

All of the first years followed nervously. Some people laughed at Alice as she stumbled over her own two feet, but Lily and Marlene grabbed her arms to keep her from having face plant in the street. Lily glanced at Severus and saw to her disappointment that he was smirking. Severus noticed her frown and covered up his smirk.

"All righ'. No more then four to a boat, now," the giant said.

Lily noticed the four boys take a boat for themselves straight away, and she rolled her eyes. Severus held out his hand to help her into a boat while Alice and Marlene joined them.

"Everyone in a boat? Righ' then, forward!" the giant called.

Lily gripped the side of the boat to keep from falling out when the boat jerked forward. Alice was also holding the boat's side, a little green. To Lily's annoyance, most of the other boats glided forward without so much as a jolt.

"You'll be able ter see yer firs' view of the castle soon!" the giant called. "Duck!" he commanded. The giant crouched as far as he could, but Lily noticed only a couple of first years only had to incline their heads slightly. Lily was short enough that she could have stood up and still not hit her head.

"Wow" Alice breathed as the castle loomed into view; Lily agreed.

She knew she would love Hogwarts immediately. Soft, golden light flickered from all the windows save several in the highest tower, reflecting clearly in the Black Lake they were now sailing across. The boats touched the soft grass on the shore. Lily stepped out of the boat, and her shoes sunk a little in the mud. Alice, Marlene, and Severus followed in suit.

"Follow me."

The giant lead the group quickly to the double doors with weird engravings that Lily did not know. He raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times. The doors then opened silently, and he led them into the Entrance Hall.

Lily stared in wonder. A huge glass chandelier the size of a small elephant hung above them, emitting a soft light. Lily glanced behind her and saw four hourglasses big enough to rival Petunia's bedroom at home. On one side was one hourglass with rubies and another with yellow diamonds, on the other side loomed an emerald-filled hourglass and one with sapphires.

"Gryffindor is red, Hufflepuff is yellow, Ravenclaw is blue, and Slytherin is green," Marlene whispered in her ear when she noticed Lily looking. Severus glared at Marlene.

"They're all here, Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you, Hagrid. We will be in shortly."

Hagrid nodded and left.

Lily recognized Professor McGonagall from her house, although now she had traded her Muggle clothes in for an emerald cloak. Lily didn't know it was possible to have a sterner face, but somehow McGonagall pulled it off. James and Sirius were whispering behind her, and Lily did her best to ignore them.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," McGonagall started, "You will shortly pass through these doors to join your classmates. In Hogwarts, there are four different Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each of these Houses has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are here, your House will be like your family. For each of your own Houses, you will be able to gain points. Please remember that any rule breaking will lose you points."

At these words, Lily glanced at James and Sirius. For their sake, she hoped they remembered what McGonagall was saying. They, however, did not look the slightest bit perturbed that everyone unfortunate to be in their house would pay for any of their most-likely-to-be-planned pranks.

"At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup," McGonagall concluded, looking piercingly at all of them. "We will begin the Sorting right now. Please, follow me."

Not unlike at Lily's home, she turned quickly as if expecting them to keep up.

"Do you know what they do when they sort?" Lily whispered to Severus. He had never told her exactly how they get into their Houses.

Severus shook his head. "My mother wouldn't tell me."

Lily nodded, trying to keep her face blank while she felt anxiety bubble in her stomach like acid. Alice had said Gryffindors were known for bravery, but Lily was definitely not feeling very brave. Hufflepuffs were known for loyalty, but she couldn't think of her friends while she was headed towards certain doom in front of the entire school. Alice said Ravenclaws were smart, but Lily couldn't even remember the first spell in _Standard Book of Spells: Grade One_. The Slytherins were known for ambition, but right now her only ambition was not to faint in front of the entire school. Had she perhaps missed a new House that had nervous people in it to make them feel better?

"Oh, look!" Alice pointed out beside Lily. Lily saw the dirtiest, most frayed hat in the history of wizards and Muggles alike sitting on a rickety, old stool. Maybe they had to get a rabbit out of it? Or make it disappear?

Through someone's singing, the only thing Lily felt was fear and queasiness. Was this just something her parents had thought of to make her happy again after Petunia and she had started arguing? _No_, Lily told herself unwaveringly, _it's real, Severus is real, this castle is real, and the annoying boys behind me are unfortunately real_.

"This is great!" Alice yelled in Lily's ear. "So all we have to do is try on a hat. My father said it was an easy test, and he was right!"

Lily looked around and saw everyone, including Alice, was clapping, so Lily started half-heartedly even though she didn't know what for until she looked up and saw the hat bowing to each of the four tables.

"I wonder if it sings when we try it on?" Alice asked. Singing? Was the hat singing? Lily didn't have much time to think before Professor McGonagall pulled out a long scroll.

"Abbott, Terry."

A boy with dirty blond hair took trembling steps towards the stool, and Lily felt sympathy for him. She could only imagine what it would be like going first. It was bad enough having to go at all.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted out for the whole hall to hear. Lily looked and saw the Hufflepuff table clapping for Terry Abbott as he sat down, looking very relieved to be out of the spotlight.

'Avery, Cadmus' swaggered up to the stool when his name was called second. The Sorting Hat had barely touched his head when it cried out, "SLYTHERIN!"

Lily glanced at the Slytherin table, and couldn't understand what Severus saw in them. It might have been just her, but they looked rather unpleasant.

"Black, Sirius." Lily's eyes narrowed in dislike at the handsome boy as he strutted up to the stool.

A hushed whisper fell on the tables. Lily glanced behind Alice's back and saw the Slytherins preparing to clap. Sirius's words on the train came back to her, and she didn't know what to think. She noticed that Sirius's fingers were crossed.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat cried out barely five seconds after he put it on.

The clapping was only half as loud as the two people before Sirius got. Some Gryffindors looked surprised that Sirius was in that House, but it was nothing compared to the Slytherins. Disbelief was clear, and several Slytherins hissed at him.

Only one pretty girl with soft, brown hair, fifth or sixth year by the look of her, gave Sirius an encouraging nod and smile.

_Don't worry about me. Be thankful you aren't stuck with the rest of us._

At least that was what Lily thought the smile said. She noticed that nobody else was paying attention to the girl and Sirius except a striking woman with luscious deep brown hair that fell to her waist; she glowered ferociously at poor Sirius. The dark, malevolent glitter in her deep chocolate brown eyes contrasted with her beauty in a way to made her seem both explicitly dangerous and, there was no other word for it, insane.

The girl noticed Lily staring and sneered cruelly, her upper lip curling in a way the made Lily shake, but she stared determinedly back at her, refusing to loose to her first bully. The woman finally looked away, and Lily caught Sirius' eye. Even though she thought of him and James as irresponsible troublemakers, the vibe she got from the Slytherin was completely different, and Lily would choose to be the troublemakers anyday over the woman.

Both 'Cargrah, Daphne' and 'Corner, Jesse' went to Ravenclaw.

"Deles, Solara."

A short, pudgy girl with a pretty face stepped up to the stool. Everyone waited for a full minute until the hat cried, "RAVENCLAW!"

"Evans, Lily."

Alice squeezed her arm and whispered, "Good luck."

Lily tried to smile, but all she could manage was a painful grimace as she walked forward on trembling legs. Thankfully, the stool was there before she fell down in terror.

_Ha! _Lily jumped at the voice inside her head.

_Severus wants me to be in Slytherin, _she thought to the hat. Suddenly she stopped. Talking to a hat? And here she was thinking that she was sane.

_Yes, yes, you're talking to a hat. No, you're not insane, t_he hat said in her ear.

_Let's see...yes, I definitely see talent, both magical and smarts. Lots of loyalty and caring, but Hufflepuff isn't the right place for you. Cleverness, a thirst for knowledge, and quick-thinking, I think I might put you in RAV- but no. Goodness, your bravery and nerve are almost unparalleled to any of the students I have ever sorted._

_Bravery or talent…_

_You certainly have a gift for magic, Ms. Evans. Immeasurable power of all kinds, both ancient and normal magic…_

_But your heart and nerve is beyond measure, there is no arguing with that._

_Slytherin with Severus, Slytherin with Severus...either that or with Alice and Severus, _Lily thought hard.

_Slytherin is most definitely NOT the right place for you. No, you are certainly a GRYFFINDOR!_

Lily realized that the hat had shouted it out for the whole hall to hear.

McGonagall took the hat of her head, and Lily made her way over to the Gryffindor table. She caught Severus's eye, and smiled sadly at his disappointed look as 'Fairfield, Sam' went to Ravenclaw.

She then noticed the woman's lip twist into a malicious smile, and even if Lily wanted to be with Severus, she couldn't help but feel deeply grateful for not being Sorted into her house.

A boy scooted over to make room for her at the table. She was about to thank him, but saw that the boy was Sirius Black. Without a word, she turned her back firmly away from him to watch as 'Fudge, Geoffrey' went to sit at the Hufflepuff table.

"Gamp, Astoria."

A tall girl with beauty equal to none but Marlene strode up to the stool.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Behind her, she heard Black groan and mutter to a third year sitting next to him, "But she's so pretty." Lily rolled her eyes at his immaturity.

'Gonzalez, Sara' went to Hufflepuff while 'Gudgeon, Davey' joined the Hufflepuff table as well.

Lily watched Severus attempting to multitask by catching her eye and pay attention to future Slytherins at the same time. Although Lily knew Severus hoped to be in Slytherin, she wished he would want to join her at the Gryffindor table.

"Hudson, Nancy."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Lestrange, Rabastan."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Lockhart, Gilderoy."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Lupin, Remus."

The scarred boy walked up to the stool with a look of deep concentration on his face like he was when he was still reading his book on the train, and Lily couldn't help but giggle.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily clapped along with the rest of the Gryffindors as Remus took a seat across from her. Lily smiled at him as he sat, and she received a small one in return.

"Macdonald, Mary."

A girl with short brown hair looked like she would like nothing more than to sink into the floor.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily applauded Mary Macdonald as she took a seat next to Lily. At least Lily knew she wouldn't be alone now.

"McKinnon, Marlene."

Lily crossed her fingers under the table, hoping her new friend from the train would be in her House, and she let loose a sigh a relief as the hat cried, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Congrats, Marlene!" Lily yelled over the clapping as 'McMillan, Lisa' took a seat at the Ravenclaw table.

Marlene grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

"Meadows, Dorcas."

"Come on, Dorcas," Marlene whispered to herself as Dorcas walked up to McGonagall and the hat, trembling with fear. "C'mon, girl."

It took almost fifteen seconds for the hat to cry, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Marlene groaned. "But she was so nice." Lily was forcibly reminded of Sirius's complaint that Astoria Gamp was too pretty to be in Slytherin.

"Can we still be friends with people in other Houses?" Lily asked her, thinking of both Severus and Dorcas.

"Yeah, but just during the daytime. At night you still get to talk with friends in your House."

"Mulciber, Lycoris," was the ugly boy Lily had made an early enemy of in Madame Malkin's.

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Pettigrew, Peter."

Peter stumbled right before he got up to the stool, and there was a faint round of sniggers. McGonagall placed the hat on his head, and it slipped, covering half his face. Lily could barely see his mouth, but she thought he was muttering,_ Gryffindor…not Slytherin…Gryffindor…not Slytherin…_

It would have been very ironic if Pettigrew had gone to the Slytherins: she wanted to be with Severus in Slytherin but remained in Gryffindor, and Pettigrew would have wanted to be in Gryffindor but was made a Slytherin.

Two minutes went by before, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Go, Pete!" Sirius yelled above the clapping.

"Potter, James."

"Oh, no, no, no…" Lily muttered so quietly only Marlene could hear it. She gave Lily a questioning look, but Lily shook her head. If Black was in Gryffindor with her, that was bad enough, but she wouldn't be able to stand it if all four of the boys she had met on the train were in Gryffindor.

The hat had barely touched his messy hair before it cried, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily took a leaf out of Marlene's book and groaned as Potter sat across from her.

"Prewett, Alice."

Lily perked up at the mention of her friend, and saw that Alice had grown from pale to deathly white. Several students laughed outright when poor Alice tripped on the step, but there were several resounding _smacks_ in the Hall as some girls slapped their boyfriends for laughing at the already petrified first year.

Lily crossed her fingers again, and her wish came true quickly as the hat screamed, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Alice ran off, still wearing the hat. By the time she had seated herself close to Lily, her cheeks had turned a bright crimson. Lily patted her hand as 'Quagmire, Beth' became a Ravenclaw.

"Rosier, Evan."

Both Potter and Black hissed at the mean looking boy as he joined the Slytherin table.

Next came fraternal twins, 'Smith, Barbara' and 'Smith, Elena', and then 'Selwyn, Reid'. Both twins went to the Hufflepuff table, and Reid Selwyn, the tall girl with a lanky body, joined Slytherin.

"Stebbins, Ackerly."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Lily drew in a breath as McGonagall called Severus forward. Lily leaned further. Would her friend join her, or would he go to the opposite table that her new House supposedly hated?

"SLYTHERIN!"

Lily closed her eyes, refusing to let anybody see her emotions.

The last three people, 'Umbridge, Dolores', 'Wilkes, Casper', and 'Yaxley, Violetta', were sorted into Slytherin.

Dumbledore stood up, reverting Lily's attention back to the front. "Welcome, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts! I do have a speech planned, but I think more people would be thinking about supper while I talk, so I only one word for you right now. Enjoy!"

Mary giggled as a group of older boys yelled, "Finally!"

Lily watched, amazed, as the empty platters filled with food. In front of her was a large plate of drumsticks, which Potter and Black wasted no time in devouring. Lily shook her head in disgust as she herself piled her plate high with mashed potatoes and a long strip of steak. Mary was still staring open mouthed at the food, and Lily kindly dumped some salad on her tray along two pieces of lamb chops.

"Yum," Alice said as she dug into the pasta.

"Mmmhm." Marlene agreed, her mouth full of corn.

Lily glanced over at Severus who was stabbing the food on his fork with unexpected venom. She sighed. After all the time they had spent together when they were smaller, both of them were in rival Houses; she wasn't even in Ravenclaw! (Alice had explained to her that Ravenclaw was the house with fewest bullying incidents involving the Slytherins) Lily twirled her fork in the food in front of her. Instead of Severus, there were four happy-go-lucky idiots sharing the common room. Remus was the only person who didn't seem like a moron, but he wasn't the childhood friend whom Lily confided everything to.

As the meal progressed, Lily learned quite a lot about her fellow housemates mostly through conversations that she had only contributed a little bit to.

"Grandmamma's a half-blood- Muggle father and her mother's a McMillan, but she married a Muggle and never told Granddaddy. Then Mum was born, but she never made it to Hogwarts, so Grandmamma never thought she would have to tell any of my family that she was a proud Gryffindor until I got my letter, and Mum's been letting me stay with Grandmamma a lot. Would that make me Muggle-born?" Mary asked Alice who had been inquiring Mary as to how much she knew about the Wizarding World.

Alice pulled on her thoughtful face. "I don't think so because half-bloods are wizards and witches with both recent wizard and Muggle ancestry. I suppose you could be considered a half-blood, but," Alice's face went sour, "I doubt that would matter to those Slytherin pure-blood fanatics."

Lily discovered that Marlene was a pure-blood since she could trace her family back eleven generations, and her maternal uncle was Newt Scamander, a noted magical naturalist who had also written Lily's book, _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them._

Alice's cousin, Gideon, had just graduated from Hogwarts two years ago as Quidditch Captain, and both he and his brother, Fabian, were training to become Aurors, and Alice wasted no time in explaining to an older Gryffindor named Sturgis Podmore who was sitting right behind them just how hard Auror training was.

Dumbledore stood up as the last of the food disappeared. Mary Macdonald groaned as her last bite vanished in her mouth.

"To our new students, welcome, and to our old students, welcome back! I have a few start-of-term notices I wish to announce. First: The Forbidden Forest is exactly what it is, which is _forbidden_."

"Let them try to stop us," Black snorted to his new best friend and Lily's new worst enemy.

"Secondly, some of you may have noticed that a tree has been planted on the school grounds. An old friend of mine managed to protect it in a fire, but was killed himself in the process. I decided to replant the tree in his memory." Lily saw Remus Lupin stiffen, but reverted her attention back to Professor Dumbledore. "A word to the wise, the tree itself is extremely dangerous, and I urge you not to play any games around the Whomping Willow. It is for your own safety.

"Third off: Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you about the banned items including Fanged Frisbees and Screaming Yo-Yos. The full list is nailed on his office door if anyone would like to check."

Potter leaned in close to Black and muttered, "Remind me to check off if we have everything on that list." Lily rolled her eyes and turned back to Dumbledore.

"On a less happy note, I am afraid I must warn you, though the Ministry does not wish me to tell you this, that a wizard going by the name of Voldemort is continuing to gain power and followers. His followers are now going by the name of the Death Eaters. Although the Ministry does not acknowledge that Voldemort is as strong as he really is, I urge you to be on guard. Voldemort is not above using means that are inhumane in the extreme. Now I have worried you long enough. Off to bed. Pip pip!" Dumbledore waved his hands in clear dismissal.

"Where are we supposed to go?" Lily asked Marlene as they got up.

"Don't know. Maybe-"

"All Gryffindor first years, this way please," a tall girl with a gleaming red and gold badge called.

The boy next to her yelled, "Come on, all you puny people, off your butts."

"Samuel!" the girl reprimanded. "They're terrified."

Samuel looked at her. "Emmie, they're Gryffindors! They have to learn to be brave."

"Never mind him," Emmie told the jumpy first years, "Just follow me."

Lily looked to Alice who looked to Marlene who looked to Mary who looked back to Lily who shrugged. "C'mon," she told them. Together, with the four boys following just behind them to Lily's annoyance, they followed the prefects out of the Great Hall.


	4. Classes and Cloaks

**Classes and Cloaks**

"Welcome to the Gryffindor common room," Emmie explained as they entered the portrait hole. "Yes, it's very nice," she added at the some of the awestruck looks.

Lily thought that was an understatement as she took it in. Squashy chairs surrounded the fireplace which already had a crackling fire, giving the room and scarlet furniture a homely glow and feeling. Several arched windows overlooked the Quidditch pitch and lake with tiny spaces filled with cushions placed right below the windows, perfect for sitting in the sunlight. Lily noticed circular tables most likely for homework dotted all over the room with four chairs to each, and also saw Potter and Black leaning against one of the scarlet and gold tapestries.

"Boys, your dormitories are upstairs to your right; girls, same on your left. All of your belongings have already been brought up," Samuel said.

Without waiting for any further instructions, Alice grabbed Lily's and Marlene's' hands while Lily herself pulled Mary along with them. "Come on, hurry up!" Alice yelled excitedly, "I want to see more."

Alice brought them to a stop at the highest level, which had a plague reading 'First Years'. Alice pushed it open, saying, "Merlin, this is better than I thought it would be. I mean, when my mum said there was excellent food, I thought 'Okay. It's nothing that I'm not used to, but…'" Lily wondered if Alice should have a future limit on sugar because she certainly didn't have a limit to her energy.

She saw Marlene suppressing giggles at Alice. Marlene caught her looking and nodded. Yes, Alice would absolutely need a sugar limit.

"Mine!" Alice cried as she claimed the bed closest to the door Lily knew to be the bathroom.

"Look at who's trunk is underneath," Marlene told her.

Lily noticed her trunk underneath the beautiful four-poster to the left of Alice's claimed bed, and she headed towards it.

"So! Introductions first." Alice beamed at her three roommates. "I'll go first. Hi, my name is-"

"Alice, we already know everyone's name," Marlene reminded her.

Alice pouted. "Fine." Suddenly she lit up like a light bulb on a sugar high. "How about we play a game of Truth or Dare."

Mary sighed. "Alice, we just ate. I know you have an unlimited energy source, but the rest of us are tired."

"Tomorrow," Alice said as she shut her curtains to change.

"We have classes."

Lily didn't need to see Alice's face to know she was disappointed.

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"Sirius," James whispered, prodding the lump that was Sirius. The half-moon shone through the high windows of the dormitory. It was only James' first night at Hogwarts, but it messier than a salamander's den.

"Mmpf," was the reply.

"Sirius."

"What?" his friend asked in a cracked voice muffled heavily by the covers.

"What do you say to a late night exploration of the castle. I think the Prefects missed out on a couple of things."

Sirius sat up, bleary-eyed and tired. He rubbed his eyes vigorously, trying to eliminate the obvious signs of weariness. "Where do we start?"

James grinned. "Whichever place is forbidden to students of course."

Sirius' eyes lit up, all traces of weariness disappearing at the suggestion, and James felt triumph. He hadn't even been gone twenty-four hours, but, if he was being honest, he already had a best friend. It was going to be an amazing year.

And then, "You really shouldn't do that on the first day of school." The scarred boy pulled his curtains aside to reveal bright eyes that James could see clearly even though it was two o'clock in the morning. "You're going to get caught."

"Go back to sleep, Remus. You don't have to be in on this," whispered Sirius. Remus glared at Sirius, but did as he said, probably figuring that Sirius and James would get a detention anyways.

Once Remus was sleeping again, Sirius turned to James and said, "How are we supposed to get around without teachers noticing?"

James puffed up his chest with arrogance and a sense of importance. "With this of course," and James produced the silvery cloak that was the family's most precious heirloom. He held it out to Sirius and ran his hand lovingly along the fluid material, letting it slip through his fingers like the finest, softest silk woven from water.

"Whoa, that's an Invisibility Cloak," said Sirius. He hesitantly reached out to touch it. "Where, in the name of Merlin's most dirty boxers, did you get this? My dear old Mum's been trying to find one of these that will last longer than a year, but none of the spells have been powerful enough."

"Family heirloom. You know what that means?" asked James.

"Hmm?"

"We can go anywhere, and nobody will ever know. Now Hogwarts is calling us, my friend."

* * *

><p>"Which classes do you have, Lily?" Alice asked as Professor McGonagall handed all the students at breakfast schedules.<p>

"I think the Gryffindors have the same ones," Lily said, running her finger down the classes. "We have Herbology with the Hufflepuffs I think,"

"Good, we can see Dorcas," Marlene interrupted.

Lily continued as if she hadn't said anything. "The teacher's name is Professor Sprout, Double Charms, lunch, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Potions."

Alice moaned. "When is Transfiguration?"

"Not 'til Wednesday."

"Potions are with the Slytherins. Their Head of House teaches that subject. I've heard he likes to play favorites," Marlene said.

Lily groaned. She had enough practice with those kinds of teachers at grade school, and while sometimes she was the favorite, she still had been on the bad side of those teachers. It was not something Lily wanted to repeat.

"Hello, fair ladies of Gryffindor." Black plopped down next to Mary with Potter close behind. "You ready for some fun times?"

"What makes you think the classes are better than everything else so far?" Marlene asked without looking up.

"Who said we were talking about classes?" Potter responded.

"Please tell me you're joking, Potter." Even as Lily said this, she knew it was false hope. Black and Potter looked like they meant business, and Lily didn't like that one bit.

Potter smirked. "That's for me to know, and for you to 'dot dot dot'."

"Mail's here!" Alice yelled, and Lily watched, amazed, hundreds of owls fly into the Great Hall. Students looked up, and Lily noticed that some owls dropped packages over the students for them to catch while some flew directly to their owners.

Lily watched for Marigold to fly over to her- a snowy owl was sure to stand out among the Great Grays and barn owls. At Marlene's suggestion, Lily had taken out a subscription of the _Daily Prophet_; she had hoped that it might help her keep up with wizard news since the chance of Muggle news reporting of wizard problems was less than zero.

Suddenly Marigold landed in front of her, neatly sticking out her leg to hand Lily a letter that looked like it was from her parents though Lily had no clue how they had sent a letter with Marigold. The other thing was the _Prophet_.

Lily opened the letter first and saw her mother's handwriting.

_Dear Lily,_

_We were trying to figure out a way for us to talk to you, but we couldn't figure out how until Marigold showed up. I think she knew we would like to correspond regularly, or maybe she just missed the scenery: either way, she is very smart. I hope she knows how to get this to you without an address._

_Anyways, how are you? What house are you in? What classes are you taking? We've been dying for information since you left, and we would love it if you could write back to us ASAP, but don't let writing a long letter deter you from your schoolwork- that always comes first._

_We love you so much!_

_Mum and Dad_

Lily noticed a small scrap of paper fall out as well, and curious, she picked it up.

_Lilykins,_

_Petunia is furious that you named your owl Marigold, but I think it is a lovely name for an owl. Due to how she's been treating you, I am personally happy that you named your owl Marigold. _

_Don't tell your mother I've been saying this, and go learn some magic._

_Love,_

_Dad_

"Who's that?" Potter asked as a smiling Lily folded the letters and tucked them into the nearest book.

The moment he spoke, Lily's eyes flashed, and she said, "None of your business, Potter."

Potter opened his mouth, no doubt to retort, but Marlene let loose an exclamation of surprise that caught everybody's attention. She had read Lily's copy of the _Prophet_ while Lily had been busy with her letters.

"Read it," Marlene said, shoving the paper onto Lily's almost empty plate.

_**Strange Disappearances: Linked?**_

_Ms. Victoria Gobsworth, 29, a noted Muggle-born Healer, has been missing for five days reports the Department of Magical Law Enforcement._

_Ms. Gobsworth, who is the Director of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, was last reported seen shopping with a man from the Muggle Liaison Office._

_The Muggle Liaison officer had been meeting with Ms. Gobsworth over several issues including the differences between Muggle-borns and pure-bloods in magical law. He was brought in for questioning, but so far, he has been cooperating fully with Aurors._

_The Aurors have been working to try to find Ms. Gobsworth, but so far there are no leads and no suspects._

_This event alone would not have been enough to spark questions out of the ordinary except that there have been two other disappearances in the last three months, including Bernard Thatcher, previous Prefect of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and a renown Ministry potioneer, and Magnolia Rears, Head Girl of Hogwarts in 1963 and an accomplished Auror._

_While there is no concrete proof that these strange disappearances are linked, there is more than enough room for speculation._

"They can't possibly be actually linked, can they?" asked Mary as she read the article over Lily's shoulder.

Alice shrugged. "I don't know, but the Auror office hasn't uncovered anything, have they?"

Black narrowed his eyes. "No, but that doesn't mean that there isn't anything to uncover. Gregory McMillan disappeared last year, and he was getting pretty famous for speaking out for Muggles and Muggle-borns."

Lily shivered. There was something off about this, she knew: all of them, Victoria Gobsworth, Bernard Thatcher, Magnolia Rears , they were all connected somehow, there was no other explanation, but Lily doubted that if the Auror office was unable to find anything, she wouldn't either.

"What's that?" Mary asked, pointing at a large owl who had been a little later than the rest of the post owls. It was carrying a bright red envelope that Lily didn't see what was so strange until she noticed Black, Potter, Marlene, Alice, and Pettigrew all staring at it with fear. They weren't the only ones; over half of the Great Hall was terrified.

It had already been a long morning, but Lily had the feeling that it was going to get worse.

The owl glided down to the Gryffindor table, and the bright red envelope was dropped right in front of Black, smoking at the edges.

For once, Black was nervous, and Lily felt bad for him, the first and last time, she was sure.

Then the loudest, most terrible screeching that Lily had ever heard filled the Great Hall. It sounded like a banshee on extra-magical steroids.

"_SIRIUS ORION BLACK! HOW DARE YOU BRING SHAME ON THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS, ON THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK! DOES OUR HERITAGE MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A GRYFFINDOR BLACK FOR SO MANY GENERATIONS, AND YOU HAVE CAUSED EMBARASSMENT! YOUR GRANDPARENTS AND THEIR PARENTS AND THEIR PARENTS BEFORE THEM ARE ROLLING AROUND IN THEIR GRAVES! _

_"IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF _YOU_!_

"_GRYFFINDOR? IT IS THE MOST DISGRACEFUL, OUTRAGEOUS THING POSSIBLE FOR OUR FAMILY! YOU'RE FATHER AND I COULD BARELY BELIEVE IT WHEN BELLATRIX WROTE TO US AND TOLD US YOU WERE IN THAT TERRIBLE HOUSE! YOU COULD TAKE A LEAF OUT OF BELLATRIX'S BOOK!_

"_POOR REGULUS WAS IN SHOCK THAT YOU WOUND UP IN THAT HOUSE!"_

Lily sat there, shell-shocked, at the letter as it screamed at Black, spewing out words like 'filth, stain of dishonor, Mudblood's friend'.

Suddenly the letter sniffed the air, like it could smell something. It turned on Lily herself, and she shrank back in her seat next to Marlene.

"_FILTHY, LITTLE MUDBLOOD! HOW DARE YOU TRACK YOUR MUCK INTO THE MAGICAL WORLD!"_

With that, the letter burst in flames, and Alice was tugging on Lily to hurry up and get out of there. Lily slowly got to her feet before she noticed that every single person staring at her and Black. Most of them were angry, but Lily got the feeling they were more angry at the letter.

Only the Slytherin house was grinning. The woman who Lily had seen at the Sorting blew a fake kiss to Black, who just snarled and said, "Fuck off, Bellatrix."

Bellatrix caught Lily's eye and glowered at her until Alice and Marlene had managed to drag Lily out of the Great Hall.

"Really, Lily, you shouldn't listen to what that woman says. You're an amazing person, and she's just a prejudiced bitch…" Alice babbled on until the entrance to the Great Hall was out of sight, and Lily heard the usual babble echo around the corridors. Marlene was soothingly rubbing Lily's arm.

"What's a Mudblood?" Lily asked, cutting short Alice's rambling.

Marlene stared at her. "You don't know? None of the Slytherins have said it to you yet?"

Lily shook her head, utterly lost, and Alice glanced at Marlene before answering, "It's a really _foul_ name for somebody who's Muggle-born; it means dirty blood, muddy blood. It's one of the worst insults there is for people like you."

Lily swallowed, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that a letter had screamed it out for all to hear, but she herself had no clue what it was. Only more things she had never heard of in the Wizarding world.

"What was that thing?" Lily asked.

"My dear old mother," said Black from behind them. Potter was also with him, but he seemed more quiet, like he was expecting Lily to either yell or burst into tears. Black faced Lily and said, "I wanted to apologize for anything she said. I was expecting a Howler, but I never thought she would call you that. If I had then I would have told you to stay in the common room until it was over."

It was the first sincere thing Black had ever told her, and Lily smiled ruefully. "It's fine. Believe me, I know what it's like to have family like that. You're not really responsible for them, but you still feel the need to apologize for them."

Black looked confused at Lily's words, but he seemed to realize an acceptance and didn't press it further. "Alright, well…see you in class, Evans."

Lily watched them leave while Alice stared at Lily like she had never seen anything quite like her.

"What?"

"You. Just. Accepted. An. Apology. From. Sirius. Black."

"Yes, I'm well aware of that, thanks."

"The bell is about to ring. I suggest you make your way to your class," McGonagall said, appearing suddenly behind them. "Off you go."

* * *

><p>"Who's the DADA teacher?" Alice asked Marlene as the girls made their way from the Great Hall. Both Herbology and Charms had gone smoothly, seeing as they had spent both classes dealing with relatively easy topics. In Herbology, Professor Sprout had them taking notes on certain bushes, which Lily had found to be a bit boring. Alice seemed to have a good memory for Herbology as she had recited almost everything Sprout had told them about Flutterby Bushes. Lily was much more interested in Charms. Flitwick gave them the rules and instructed them to try <em>lumos<em>. By the the end of class, only five people had managed to illuminate their wands, including Lily, and, to Lily's displeasure, the Dynamic Duo.

"Professor Banks," Marlene said. "I've never heard of her."

They entered the classroom together, and it became clear to Lily that Professor Banks would not be her favorite teacher. The walls were clear of everything except a single bookcase with titles such as _A Guide to Negotiation and __Cooperation__, Basic Theories of Dark Creatures, _and _The Theory Behind Counter-Jinxes. _

"Ugh," Alice frowned, "This is the most boring classroom I have ever been in."

"Criticize my class again, Ms. Prewett, and I will take points from Gryffindor," a stern voice behind her said. A severe looking woman strode up the aisles between the desks to the front of the class. "I am the teacher, and I will decide the curriculum _and _the decorations. Now take your seats," she commanded.

"Sorry," Alice muttered, not looking sorry at all. She seated herself by Lily while Mary and Marlene took up seats in front of them. Ravenclaws filed in after the Gryffindor girls. Lily vaguely recognized several of them from the sorting, including Solara Deles and a very handsome boy named Gilderoy Lockhart. The four Gryffindor boys ran through the doorway literally ten seconds before the bell rang, earning a scowl from Professor Banks. Black winked at Banks.

"Good afternoon, class. My name is Professor Banks," Banks said. She turned to the blackboard and flicked her wand. As if an invisible hand was writing, short phrases appeared on the blackboard:

_Course Aims_:

_1. Recognizing the Dark Arts and Creatures_

_2. Knowing the Proper Defense_

_3. Using Basic Defensive Spells and Methods_

"Please copy this down," Banks said.

The rest of the class dragged on slowly with minimal interruptions for questions. At first, Lily wondered what exactly they would be doing in this class since several notes had things that Lily knew to be way beyond their level, including the Unforgivable Curses and Dementors. When she voiced this, however, Banks told her that she would get to those subjects in her later years. Alice caught her eye, and gave a sigh of exasperation.

"Since most of you are done, we will start today with a very basic defensive method called Disarming. I do not expect you to be able to do much, seeing as you are just starting, but with a couple weeks of practice, you should be able to disarm your opponent. Choose your partner, look it up, and practice. That will be your homework also. You may begin."

Lily set to work with Alice straight away while Marlene paired up with Mary. Professor Banks had set aside the tables for practice, but they only had fifteen minutes left of class.

"_Expelliarmus!" _Alice cried, waving her wand frantically. Lily stood there waiting for the spell that would not come. Lily didn't expect herself or anyone to do it since it was only the first day. Alice tried several times before it was Lily's turn.

"_Expelliarmus!" _Lily cried when it was her turn.

Nothing happened. How anticlimactic.

"The book clearly said a flick of the wand, not a huge circle," Banks said sternly. "Here, like this." Banks pulled out her wand on Lily who was terrified. Were teachers supposed to jinx students on the first day of class?

"_Expelliarmus!"_

Lily felt her wand jerk violently without leaving her hand, but it wasn't Professor Banks who had disarmed her, it was Alice. Lily stared open-mouthed at her friend. Alice paid her no attention, but stared boldly at Banks who was smiling in a way that Lily didn't like.

"Five points from Gryffindor, Miss Prewett. You do not attack when your opponent is not looking." Banks walked away to tell off a handsome Ravenclaw who, by the looks of it, had set fire to his friend's sleeve.

"Alice, you didn't have to do that. Banks was looking for an excuse to punish you for mocking her horrible sense of decoration."

"So? I won't have my friends unfairly jinxed by a teacher for just trying," Alice snapped. "And I don't like her."

Lily was touched that her friend would be willing to lose five points from Gryffindor for her. "Can I try again?"

Alice nodded, and Lily readied her wand.

"_Expelliarmus!_" she yelled. There was a flash of red light, and Alice's wand flew out of her hand. Lily caught it, staring at it in wonder.

"Good work, Miss Evans." Banks said grudgingly. "One point to Gryffindor. The rest of you," Banks raised her voice so everyone could hear her. Banks glared at Potter and Black who were having a mini duel of bright flashes and sparks. They stopped when they noticed her glaring. "Homework is to practice. By the end of next week, you should be able to disarm successfully."

* * *

><p>"That was excellent, Alice! The look on Banks' face when you interrupted her," Mary said excitedly as they walked into the Potions classroom.<p>

"I don't think Banks likes you very much," Marlene reminded Alice.

Alice smiled ruefully. "Trust me, the feeling's mutual. I don't care who tries to jinx my friends. I'm not letting them. It just isn't fair to cast spells at a first year."

Lily sighed. "Alice, what did I do to earn a friend like you," she said fondly.

"Being at Diagon Alley at the right time," All of them giggled.

"Lily!" Lily turned and saw Severus running towards her. Her Gryffindor friends slipped away to an empty table when Severus skidded to a stop in front of her.

"Sev, how are you? I've meant to talk to you but we didn't have any classes together."

"I'm fine; do you want to sit together?"

"Sure, I'm sitting with my Gryffindor friends. There's an open spot…" Lily noticed Severus's eyes grow tight at the mention of Gryffindor.

"Oh, come on, Sev. They're really great! I'm sure if you got to know them, then you would be on friendlier terms." Severus hesitated. "Please, just sit on the other side of me." Lily gave him her sweetest puppy eyes she could.

Severus sighed at the look on her face. "Sure, for you."

Lily brightened considerably. "Thanks, Sev."

The door opened, and a great whale of a man entered, preceded only by a gigantic belly wrapped in a strained velvet waistcoat. "Jolly good," the man said, "It's so nice to see new faces, and I must say I do recognize several of your faces."

He stopped at the front of the room, sweeping his eyes across the tables. "Miss Umbridge, isn't your father in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Lily looked at the girl he was talking to, faintly recognizing her from the sorting, and she could barely help from snorting out loud. Umbridge was giving Slughorn what was supposed to be a sweet smile, but she failed miserably. The smile made her eyes bulge out of her amazingly toad-like face, giving off the impression she just swallowed a nasty fly. She saw that Mary was in a similar predicament with her lips smiling against her will.

"Yes, Professor Slughorn. He has quite an influence over which laws he wants to be passed."

Slughorn nodded and looked at Alice. His eyes moved over Lily and Mary as if they were invisible. "Miss Prewett! I have seen your mother have some conversations with the Minister himself."

Alice barely nodded which left Lily wondering if Alice was not happy with the way Slughorn had ignored her friends. "Quite right, sir."

He reached the four boys from Gryffindor. "Mr. Potter, how is your father? Probably very exhausted with all of those cases at the Auror office. Ah, well, if you are that high-ranking, then that is expected. Tell him hello for me."

Potter nodded and said, "Sure,"

Slughorn clapped his hands together and addressed the whole class for the first time. "Today, I will just have you brew a simple Boil-Cure Potion. Please note that I do not expect any of you to be able to produce it on your first attempt, but whichever one I deem to be the best will have a little treat." At these words, he produced a little bottle of golden potion. "At the beginning for each new class of students, I give this tiny bottle of Felix Felicis."

Lily didn't see what was so great about a tiny vial of liquid, and she noticed that nobody else had the faintest idea either.

"If you should win, I will let whichever brilliant potioneer look it up. I assure you will be quite happy when you discover what it does. A warning, it is banned from games, exams, and interviews. It is only to be used on an ordinary day. You will work alone. You will start," Slughorn flicked his wand, and the instructions appeared on the board, "Now."

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

James had now decided that he didn't like Slughorn very much. He may have been nice to James, but the look on his face when he glanced at Remus irritated him. He wasn't much better to Sirius as he walked around, only mentioning that Slughorn knew one of his cousins. Although when James had found out his best friend's surname, he at least was able to look past that and see that Sirius didn't like to be associated with his family. It would take a lot more to give Slughorn respect than just saying a few nice words about his father. Only McGonagall was close to getting it from him and his friends, although Sprout and Flitwick were on the right track.

James dropped one of his porcupine quills and bent under the table to pick it up when he noticed the short, little man in the most ludicrous clothes under the table. James remembered his father telling him stories about the infamous Peeves, and James had practically worshipped his fantastic ideas. Now that Peeves was under his cauldron, he wasn't so sure anymore.

James glanced at Sirius who was looking rather apprehensive. Peeves hadn't noticed them looking. He was too busy with his Stink Pellets.

James had an idea. He tapped Peeves who just glared at him. Without saying a single word, James took out one of his fireworks. He quietly stuck a Stink Pellet at the end. Peeves' face lit up at the idea of another prankster. James glanced at Sirius.

Thumbs up.

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

Slughorn stopped in front of Lily. She looked up, wondering if she had done something wrong. The potion was supposed to be pale pink according to the directions, and Lily's was exactly that.

But Slughorn wasn't frowning. "Oho! Only three times have I had a student mix up that good of a potion in all my years here on their first try The first was a brilliant student when I first started teaching named Hector Dagworth-Granger, and also there was Damocles Belby and Tom Ri-" He stopped short, but covered up his slip almost effortlessly and smiled kindly at her. "May I ask your name, m' dear?"

"Lily Evans, sir."

Slughorn looked thoughtful. "Evans? I'm trying to remember. I certainly would remember if one of your parents would be that good… They did go to Hogwarts, didn't they?"

Lily shook her head. "No, sir. I'm Muggle-born, you see."

"Goodness, are you really?"

Lily saw all the Slytherins scowling at her, obviously not happy that a Muggle-born Gryffindor would be favored by Slughorn, but Slughorn was not paying attention to them.

"Well, you definitely have a talent for potions."

Slughorn had just turned to Severus's potion when it exploded. Lily ducked with her hands over her head so her robes only had little trails of pink liquid clear against her black robes. Slughorn had managed to get his arms over his face just in time, but poor Severus was not so lucky. The potion hit him full force in the face, topping his black hair with pink, and his face erupted in green hives.

Lily emerged from the table, frowning at her pink robes. Slughorn waved his wand, and the mess vanished, but Severus was still covered in hives.

"Run along to the Hospital Wing, Mr. Snape. Madame Pomfrey should be able to fix you up." Severus ran without getting his things. A very nasty smell was starting to fill the air.

Laughter rang out from behind her. It was Potter and Black with Peter snickering right next to them. Only Remus was able to keep from laughing. Lily gave them her best eleven-year-old death glare, and they shut up immediately, looking terrified.

To Lily's disappointment, both Alice and Marlene were laughing with Potter and Black while Mary was giggling behind her hand.

Everyone was silent as Slughorn scooped up the remains of fireworks and something that looked suspiciously like a Stink Pellet.

"Peeves! How dare you." Slughorn glared at the most bizarre person Lily had ever seen; his bright orange waistcoat buttoned over a plum shirt, and he was grinning widely.

"So sorry to your professorship," Peeves crackled, "But I saw an open cauldron, sirsie." With that, he zoomed through the wall and disappeared.

Slughorn sighed. "Class dismissed. Miss Umbridge, Miss Evans, Mr. Potter, I would like to talk to you. Miss Evans, as promised, here is your Felix Felicis. Use it wisely."

Lily took the tiny bottle, making a mental note to ask Severus to help her discover its uses. She, Potter, and Toad-Face stood at Slughorn's desk as the last of the students trickled out. Toad-Face glared at Lily. She was apparently furious that Lily had managed to beat her, despite being a Muggle-born with no good contacts.

Lily smirked, whispering, "Funny that your daddy won't be able to get you everything."

Slughorn, oblivious to the exchange, seated himself behind the desk. "I'm having a little get-together in three weeks. I would very much like to invite you three to it."

Lily found herself nodding while her mind wandered to the firework. The others were turning to leave, and Lily followed in suite, but she wanted to say something first.

"Potter!" Lily shouted before Potter could start running.

He turned, smirking, and said, "Yes, Evans?"

His politeness was lost on Lily. "Did you have anything to do with the firework?" she demanded.

Potter's hand jumped to his already messy hair. "Even if I was, would I tell you?"

Lily took that as a yes and stormed past him, taking great care to bump into his shoulder.


	5. The Knockback Jinx

**The Knockback Jinx**

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_School's been going great. There is so much to talk about, but I have been too busy to write to you much._

_I am now a Gryffindor. Yes, weird, isn't it? The only House Sev really mentioned and talked about was Slytherin, but the Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor instead because it thought the place I would be best in was Gryffindor, all of whom are known for bravery, nerve, and chivalry. The other three Houses are Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin which Sev is in. Although the Sorting Hat ALMOST put me in Ravenclaw except it decided that while I had plenty of 'cleverness, a thirst for knowledge, and quick-thinking', the Sorting Hat said that my courage and nerve far outweighed it. Can you believe everything he said? I'm having a hard time believing that I have all that._

_It's weird not being able to talk to Sev as much because Gryffindors and Slytherins only have a few classes together. But in Gryffindor, I have three new friends. Mum, you already met Alice Prewett at Diagon Alley. She is officially the most hyperactive girl in the school now. Marlene, Mary, and I have to take turns watching Alice and how much sugar she gets. I have another great friend in Hufflepuff, and her name is Dorcas Meadows. We don't talk as much, but we still hang out with her group of friends in the library, classes, and sometimes lunch._

_Unfortunately, with the good comes the bad. The four boys in Gryffindor can be very… annoying. They love to prank people. Just on the first day alone, they blew up Sev's potion causing him to erupt in hives, although Peeves the Poltergeist took the credit, and they didn't get punished. They like to jinx other students, even though they're barely into the First Year courses. Oh, well, you can't get everything in life._

_The classes are going great. I would have to say Potions and Charms are my best subjects. I'm usually one of the first people to get things to work in those classes! Professor Slughorn absolutely loves my 'rare knack for potions' as he calls it. He even invites me and a few other students to small parties he hosts. A lot of the students there are related to well-known people in the Wizarding World, but he invites me because he thinks I'm very talented (He also thinks some of my answers to his questions are very funny). _

_Professor Flitwick is so sweet. He's the tiniest teacher at Hogwarts, and everybody loves him. Defense Against the Dark Arts and Herbology are also strong classes, though Professor Banks isn't nearly as nice as the other teachers. _

_Transfiguration is really difficult, but Professor McGonagall says that I do relatively well. I still think it's my worst subject._

_History of Magic is very boring. Remus and I are the only people who don't fall asleep in that class even though a ghost teaches that class. Apparently two hundred years ago, Professor Binns died and didn't even realize it. The most interesting thing he does is enter through the blackboard. It's amazing how he can make goblin rebellions and giant wars sound more boring than a politician who doesn't know what they are doing._

_The common room is so comfortable. The armchairs are squashy and very comfortable. I particularly love to sit under the windows on the cushions. I don't even know if my favorite spot is supposed to be real sitting space or just decoration. At least none of the older students try to kick me out because 1) they never sat there before, so why would they start now? And 2) I don't think half those guys fit. A couple of the smaller girls, maybe, but none of those guys on the Quidditch team have a chance at squeezing into my favorite spot._

_The food is great. I've heard some students know how to get down to the kitchens if they're hungry, but I don't know how to. _

_I'll write again soon!_

_Lots of Love,_

_Lily_

_P.S. Tell Tuney I said hello_

Lily looked over the letter for a third time, trying to figure out the right way to phrase several things she would like to say to her parents, but she came up blank. She couldn't tell her parents how some of the Slytherins were acting around her. And Potter, Black, Remus, and Pettigrew were more than just annoying. She couldn't say how she was slightly insulted by Slughorn's initial surprise that she was a Muggle-born and a good witch at the same time, although he was much better than his Slytherin students. History of Magic was boring? Yeah, right! it was a million times worse than listening to Petunia's rants on "normal" fashion trends…although she was right about the politician part.

She watched from her spot under the window as several fourth years were fighting over copying Transfiguration homework. It was a good thing that her spot was out of the way of the common room because nobody ever bullied her into giving up her seat.

"Lily!" Alice bounced all the way to Lily's secluded corner. "It's the weekend. Let loose and have some _fuuun_." She added a little dance move with a swagger to her hips, though she just looked like a spaz.

"Hold up, Alice. I have to go to the Owlery." Lily showed Alice her finished letter.

"I'll come with you," Alice said, pulling Lily to her feet.

For the past two weeks, Lily had finally found her way around the castle and was able to get down to the Great Hall without getting lost once. She even found a shortcut to the second floor.

"You know," Alice started, "Third years and up are going to Hogsmeade later, and a lot of second years are working on a huge project for Transfiguration or something and are going to be in the library. You know what that means?"

"Um…" Lily put on a thoughtful face, "Free common room?"

"Yes!" Alice jumped in the air and punched it, "I _knew_ you would understand."

"But we would still have to share with the boys," Lily reminded her.

Alice frowned. She obviously had forgotten that Gryffindor had first year boys, no matter how annoyingly obvious they were. "We can share. The common room's big enough for eight."

"You do know that the minute you invite them, they'll set Dungbombs off under your chair and play with a Fanged Frisbee," Lily said.

* * *

><p>They approached the Owlery when a soft voice behind them said, "Well, well, well, if isn't the little blood-traitor and her Mudblood friend."<p>

Alice whipped around, grabbing Lily as if to reassure herself her friend was still there. Her normally cheerful face was set in a defiant scowl. "Don't you_ dare_ call Lily that, you bastard."

Although her friends had explained to Lily that it was the worst word a wizard could utter, she still had a hard time believing that anybody could throw the word around like it was nothing. After all, no a lot of people threw the N-word around like Mudblood, but it apparently was just as bad.

Two boys stepped out from behind the stairs. Lily recognized the ugly blond as Mulciber. The boy to his immediate left was Cadmus Avery from the sorting. He sneered at them. The boys behind them were all big and hideous. Lily's first thought was how to wish them luck for finding a girl to date because they would need it.

"What do you want?" Alice asked quietly, her voice cold and calculating.

"Manners, Prewett, or I'll have to teach you a lesson starting with your Mudblood friend here," Mulciber mocked in a baby voice. "I do have several people who know some good hexes. How 'bout it, half-blood?"

The boys parted to reveal…Severus.

"Sev? What are you doing here?" Lily asked in an incredulous voice.

Severus was looking around to anywhere that wasn't her. "Well, I-" He looked helplessly at Avery, but Avery just pointed his wand at Alice.

"_Conjuctivo!_" he yelled, waving his wand at Alice, who had not been expecting it and wasn't able to duck in time.

Alice cried out in pain and held her face to her hands. Fury rose in Lily. She glowered at Avery and shouted the first spell that came to mind. It was one of the spells Lily came across when she read her books.

"_FLIPENDO!_" Lily yelled. Lily had not been expecting much to happen, but her rage at Avery seemed to triple her power. Instead of just being knocked of his feet, the jinx slammed straight into his chest and smashed him a good ten feet away from where he was standing.

The Slytherins were now looking at her with surprise and a little fear. Several raised their wands and were about to say something that would no doubt knock Lily out cold, before a voice said, "What on earth is going on here?"

Emmie the Prefect ran up to the dueling first years with her wand out. Behind her sprinted a tall black boy with a small gold hoop in his ear.

Emmie noticed Alice with Lily supporting her. She rounded on the Slytherins. They all stood there, staring at Emmie with terror. They seemed to know it was different battling a first year with a strong Knockback Jinx rather than a fifth year prefect and another older student. All of them turned tail and ran the opposite way before Emmie and the boy had gotten closer.

"What happened?" Emmie asked Lily, who was still holding a howling Alice.

"I was going to send a letter, and the Slytherins appeared behind us," Lily said.

"Who provoked who?"

Alice sniffled. "Mulciber called Lily a-the 'M' word." Alice seemed incapable of repeating Mudblood.

Emmie gasped. "He didn't!"

Alice started crying again, though from the pain or the situation, Lily didn't know. She felt it would be better to explain herself than to let Alice try.

"And then Avery pulled out his wand and yelled '_Conjuctivo_' and it hit Alice in the face."

Emmie turned to the black boy, second or third year by the looks of him, and said, "Kingsley, go get Professor McGonagall."

Kingsley nodded and ran in the opposite direction.

Emmie then pointed her wand at Alice and muttered the counter-curse, though judging by Alice's sniffles, it still stung a little.

* * *

><p>One hour passed before Lily and Alice were allowed to leave with the promise that the Slytherins responsible would get many detentions. Professor McGonagall had taken fifty points from Slytherin. She had also given Lily ten points for an excellent Knockback Jinx, something that Lily felt was to be proud of.<p>

Emmie's counter-curse got rid of the Conjunctivis Curse, but Alice's eyes were still red, something she had tried to eliminate before they entered the common room.

"Thanks for standing up for me back there," Lily said.

"No problem. Those Slytherins were certainly scared of you. It would have taken all of them to take you down. Remind me not to get on your bad side."

Lily laughed lightly. "Don't worry about that. You're too far on my good side." She was thoughtful for a second and then, "Am I really that scary?"

Alice howled but it wasn't from pain. It was from laughter. "I've known you for a couple of months plus the day in Diagon Alley. Don't you wonder why the Gryffindor boys flinch when you see catch them pulling a prank?"

Lily shrugged, unable to answer. In all honesty, she always thought those moments were funny to other people.

Alice noticed this and said, "Just your glare is enough to make people run the other way, but add the fact that in only two months, you almost knocked out Avery, you're frightening at times."

"Something those marauding boys will be on the end of if they don't stop," Lily grumbled.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Marauding? That's exaggerating a little, don't you think. They're just having fun."

Lily felt something moving behind her. She whipped her wand out, unwilling to take another chance today. Alice did the same thing beside her.

Someone stepped out from behind the statue. Lily raised her wand.

"Easy, Evans, don't hex me now."

Lily groaned. She knew that voice. "What do you want, Potter? Today is not the day to annoy me more than you already have."

Black stepped out from behind Potter. "We're just walking. Is that a crime, Miss Don't-Mess-With-Me? By the way, marauding? That's a bit harsh."

"It is what you do," Lily answered.

Potter grinned at his friend. "You know, Sirius, I think we got ourselves a new nickname."

Black brightened. "Yes, my fellow Marauder, I think Evans just gave it to us."

Lily groaned. The last thing she needed to hear was the phrase 'Marauding Marauder'. "No, I didn't."

"Hush, Evans," Potter said, waving his hand, "We're having a serious marauding plan for Marauders only."

Lily's temper flared. She did not appreciate being waved away like that.

Alice, sensing that Lily was just seconds from a second outburst, grabbed her arm.

"By the way, Prewett, Evans, what is this rumor that you two got into a little duel with the Slytherins. Only the Marauders should be granted the right to duel first with the Slytherins." Black inquired, and Lily's anger was reaching her snapping point, which happened a lot around Potter and Black's gang.

"Aowww," Lily cooed, still plenty mad at Potter for waving her down, "Are the pwoor wittle Marauders unhappy."

"She had a wicked Knockback Jinx, Black. I would watch out," Alice warned Black.

Black laughed. "You're kidding. We haven't learned that spell yet. James and I are the only ones who can attempt it."

Alice smirked as she watched Lily's eyes flashed at being mocked about her magical abilities.

Potter noticed this and took a few steps back nervously, but Black paid no attention.

"_Flipendo!_" Lily cried.

With a bang and a burst of light, Black was thrown back several yards before he collided with the statue.

"Sirius!" Potter yelled. He turned back to them and whipped out his wand, no doubt to hex them, but Alice was quicker.

"_Expelliarmus._"

A flash of red light, and Potter's wand flew out of his hand.

Black groaned and sat up, rubbing his head.

"Willing to take that back, Black?" Lily smirked at the sight of them. And they thought they were better.

"We'll get you. Watch your back," Black grunted, but it wasn't much of a threat when he was still trying to get to his feet without falling over.

"We'll see," Lily said and, still smirking, headed towards the common room with Alice.

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

James continued to stare at the door Evans and Prewett had just closed and then looked back to Sirius who was still getting up off his feet. It was a definite blow to his pride to be beaten by a first year girl when James considered himself and Sirius to be some of the cleverest students for their age. All James had been able to do with the Knockback Jinx was knock Snape of his feet, not even close to what Evans had just done.

"We're going to prank them, right James?" Sirius glared at the door as if it was the one to jinx him.

"No worries, my fellow Marauder. They won't know what hit them."

Sirius finally jumped up. "So," he said, clapping his hands together once, "How do we do that?"

"Well," James started slowly, "We could use our brilliance with Remus and Pete to look up every hex we could possibly know."

Sirius scoffed. "Homework? Now why should we do that when we already have homework?"

"You don't do the homework anyway," James pointed out.

"Too true, my fellow Marauder."

* * *

><p>For the next month, James and Sirius barely put any effort into the homework, which caused McGonagall to put them in several detentions, even though James and Sirius were in the top of every class besides Potions and Charms, and were tied with Marlene, Alice and Lily in Defense Against the Dark Arts.<p>

But James and Sirius couldn't care less about the detentions or care more about the carefully plotted revenge of Redhead and Blondie. James noticed that like him, Evans did very well in all the classes with the exception of Transfiguration, which she struggled on, but unlike James, Evans only cared school and her friends without any pranks added into her agenda.

And speaking of friends…

James watched with narrowed eyes as Snape joined Evans at the table in the library. He said something to her, and she laughed. He whispered something at her, glancing at the Marauders. Lily then proceded to glare at all of the Marauders with Snape watching her greedily.

James tapped Remus's shoulder. "Why does she hang out with that snake?"

Remus looked up. He had only joined them in the library because of the learning chances, not the promise to avenge the mini duel between James and Sirius and the Enemies. He flatly refused to do something against a fellow Gryffindor who had not done anything. Remus shrugged. "They were friends before they came to Hogwarts, so they're probably pretty close friends."

"But he's a stinking _Slytherin,_" James scoffed as if that settled the matter.

"He wasn't before he came here. They obviously knew each other before they came here."

James nodded, not taking his eyes off the duo.


	6. Defining Enemies and Rivals

**Defining Enemies and Rivals**

_Lily POV_

Halloween was fast approaching, and Lily was stuck with her friends in the dormitory, trying a variety of charms that Lily had come across. They had decided it wasn't safe around the Marauders, and so all of them were to practice spells Marlene had deemed important.

Lily had already mastered the Knockback Jinx, which Marlene had said would be learned later in the year for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Lily was trying out new charms and hexes she had read about or Emmie had told her.

Lily liked that a popular fifth year Prefect had taken time to be kind to both Lily, Lily's friends, and many other younger students. Lily already had her sights set on being Prefect herself in fifth year.

The girls were originally practicing in their dormitory, but the accident of removing Mary's nightstand with a loud bang and misused spell from Alice had caused them to move into an empty classroom. Mary had spent a full week trying to get McGonagall to conjure a new nightstand for her bed. At least this time when Marlene set fire to a desk in one of the empty classrooms, nobody was going to miss it.

"Let's try some of these." Lily said, dumping a thick book on Mary's bed.

"Are you kidding, Lily?" Marlene asked, flipping through a couple of pages, "This is for second and third years."

"Here's one: the Shoe-Glue Charm."

"But what's to stop them from hexing us when they're stuck?" Mary asked.

"Run?" Alice suggested.

"The incantation is _'Colloshoo'_."

"_Colloshoo!_" Mary yelled, jabbed her wand Lily. "Yuck, that's disgusting."

Lily looked down and saw slimy white coating quickly growing over her slippers. She tried move, only to encounter surprisingly strong resistance. Lily almost fell to the floor, but Mary caught her before any damage could be done.

"Where's the counter-jinx?" Lily asked.

"Umm," Mary looked at her feet, "Marlene?"

"You don't even know the counter-jinx?" Lily said, aghast.

"Wait! It's here somewhere." Mary scanned the page. "I'm looking, I'm looking…"

Lily rolled her eyes and, pointing her wand at her slippers, muttered, "_Finite._"

Mary glanced at her sheepishly and said, "Sorry.".

* * *

><p>"Thank Merlin we already knew the Knockback Jinx," said Alice as they made their way acorss the beautiful green grounds. Lily spared a glance at the Forbidden Forest which looked unusually dark and dangerous even with the bright daylight shining. Lily shivered.<p>

"The Halloween Feast is tonight, and I heard that it's supposed to be as good as the Christmas Feast; Dumbledore booked some dancing skeletons," said Marlene as they seated themselves only a little farther away from the Whomping Willow than a group of first year Hufflepuffs.

"They say that every year, I heard," said Mary, pulling out her Herbology homework.

"They actually _did _come the year before last," Alice said while she plopped down behind Lily and started braiding her red hair. "Have I ever told you that I'm jealous of your hair, Lily? It's so soft," she declared in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Really? I don't like red hair as much. It stands out a lot."

"It's pretty and easy to change the style- what the hell?" yelled Alice suddenly.

Lily jumped at Alice's shout of surprise. She wildly cast her eyes around for anything, but she didn't notice anything odd until she caught all three of her friends staring, suprised, at Lily...or rather, her hair.

She cautiously caught a lock of dark red hair and peered at it. Only, it wasn't red anymore. It was green- bright, neon green.

"POTTER!" Lily screamed, rounding on the boys standing farther away and roaring with laughter. "Change it back!"

"Why?" Potter asked innocently, "I like it. It matches your eyes- OI!"

Lily growled in frustration and shot a Jelly-Legs Jinx at Potter. He jumped back and managed to dodge it, but Lily aimed another one which hit him, and she felt guilty satisfaction ease her anger as Potter hobbled around. She flinched on the inside; that was what Potter and his gang did. Did she really just stoop to their level?

_Nope. I'm just getting payback for turning my hair green,_ she thought.

Just teach him a lesson about jinxing people when their backs are turned, the scardey-cat.

Alice laughed loudly at James after performing the counter-jinx on Lily.

"Not so tough anymore, are you, Wiggles?" Lily sniggered.

James scowled at Lily. "Take it back, Evans, or I'll-"

"You'll what? Hex me..._again_? Just like you do to Severus every day?" simpered Lily.

"Watch your back, Ev-"

"_AAAAAHHHHH!_"

They all jumped at the scream and watched with horror as one of the Hufflepuffs had gotten too close to the Whomping Willow. Everything was in slow motion for Lily as one of the Hufflepuffs Lily recognized as Davey Gudgeon flew backwards.

"Somebody help him!" one of his friends yelled.

Lily ran towards Davey, momentarily forgetting about Potter and the counter-jinx. Besides, Black or one of his other friends would be able to take care of it.

Lily's stomach twisted as she drew closer to the horrible mess that was Davey. There were cuts and scrapes covering every inch of his body, and Lily would have bet that he would have bruises which would be a pain in the ass tomorrow. He had a large slash across his left shoulder and his right ankle twisted in a way that Lily had never seen before. She had to strongly suppress the urge to vomit as she took in his face. It was far bloodier than his shoulder, though Lily remembered something about face wounds always looking worse than they were, but she still could tell it was bad.

As Alice came to a halt behind her and said, "Gross.", Lily tore a strip of fabric from her shirt beneath her robes and, balling it up, pressed it firmly against his face, hoping to ease the blood loss. Lily bet that there was a charm that could fix it up straight away, but she didn't trust herself not to screw anything up.

"Go get Madam Pomfrey," Lily ordered.

"Somebody's already getting her," said a second year that Lily didn't know. "Oh, look. She's here."

Lily glanced up to see the school's patron hustling over to where Lily crouched. Her wand was already out, and she carried a bottle full of Merlin knows what. Lily wondered briefly how she had gotten here so fast, but she noticed a small group of seventh years watching her; she must have been talking to some of the Healer hopefuls.

"Away, away," she shooed the crowd. Lily obediently followed her request, and let Madam Pomfrey perform a complicated motion with her wand and wisk Davey off to the Hospital Wing.

"Well," Alice said behind her, "Happy Halloween, Lily."

Lily didn't hear Alice, and she instead studied Remus who was standing farther away. There was something in his face that was more than worry. If Lily didn't know better, she would have said it was guilt. Like Remus was personally punishing himself for what happened to Davey.

Lily shook her head to clear her thoughts, sure she was just seeing things.

* * *

><p>"First flying lesson is in fifteen minutes," a first year Hufflepuff whispered excitedly to his friend as Lily and Alice passed them. Davey's incident was soon forgotten in the midst of excitement for both the Halloween Feast and the first flying lesson for the first years.<p>

Flying. Lily felt her stomach drop. Of everything in her world, this was the thing she was looking forward to the least. It wasn't something she could learn out of a textbook. The most she had was _Quidditch Through the Ages_, but she stopped reading it the moment she realized it was the only book Potter, Black, and Pettigrew would ever read.

Alice had been talking nothing but Quidditch for the past two days with Marlene saying some things in between Alice's speeches, something Lily and Mary thought was contributing to their nervousness. Alice had once almost hit a hot air balloon, though at first Lily and Mary didn't understand her at first because she called them 'those big ballroom things'.

"I forgot we had flying lessons today," Lily groaned.

Alice stared at her. "You _forgot_?" she asked incredulously. "How do you forget flying of all things?"

"I don't want to do it."

"Are you serious, Evans? How can anyone not want to fly?" Black demanded behind her. Lily saw that Potter was too stunned to even speak, his mouth moving with no sound coming out. Unfortunately for Lily, Potter's case wasn't permanent.

Lily glanced at Alice, expecting her to back Lily up, but her friend was wearing the same expression as the two boys in front of her.

In one swift motion Black and Potter grabbed her arms and dragged her down to the courtyard with Alice refusing to pay attention to Lily's pleas for help.

* * *

><p>"Wow." Lily and Alice entered the Great Hall, staring at all of the Halloween decorations. Live bats fluttered around the floating candles. Lily saw skeletons dancing around the edges with some very nervous students leaning as far away as they could. At the teachers' table, Dumbledore was chuckling at joke Professor Flitwick had just told him.<p>

They had just gotten back from their first flying lesson, which Lily hated. She wasn't that bad. In fact, she was one of the only people to stay on her broom for longer than five minutes. It was Potter and Black who had made it unbearable. If being the best in the class without even trying ticked Lily off, they were the only people who were able to fly well in the lesson. It was bad enough for Lily to be beaten in some of the classes. The evening had ended with Geoffrey Fudge suffering from a broken wrist, and Lily and Alice had bee commanded to take him up to the hospital wing.

"Alice, Lily, over here," Mary called, waving them over to where she and Marlene were happily devouring some treacle tart.

"I take it you two have gotten past the anger phase of a fight," Marlene said while examining them over her treacle tart.

Lily shrugged. It was true that Alice was siding with Lily's rivals in the issue of flying, and Lily was not happy with it.

Alice popped her head up. "I just remembered. We have a treaty to plan with the Marauders."

Marlene gasped. "I completely forgot about that! Come on," she yelled, jumping to her feet as if electrocuted, "We were supposed to be there five minutes ago." Lily recalled the offer from the Marauders that the Marauders would not try to get back at the girls for Lily and Alice's duel, and the girls, in turn, would turn a blind eye to any pranks that weren't meant to be cruel.

They all raced from the Great Hall, earning surprised and disbelieving looks from many students that they were willingly skipping out on the Halloween feast.

They took the one shortcut Lily knew on the second floor to the seventh floor. By the time they reached the treaty spot, they were out of breath.

"You're late," Black said. Both he and Potter were looking disapprovingly at the girls. Lily noticed Remus leaning against of the suits of armor, looking nervous. Pettigrew was watching the exchange between them with eagerness.

Potter took a step towards Lily and Alice, both of whom were standing front. Black stepped up right behind Potter, and Lily had a very odd urge to laugh at thought of them facing off like they were about to begin a battle.

Black cleared his throat. "Ladies, we have called you here-"

"Oh, cut the shit, Black, and tell us why we're here," Marlene cut across him, and Lily had to smile at Black's reaction.

Black scowled at Marlene. "Fine. If we agree not to try to get back at you for almost knocking me out," Black shot a glare at Lily who just smiled sweetly and pretended to blow a kiss to Black, "Then you agree to turn a blind eye to any prank that you deem not to be too mean for a full month."

Lily thought hard, trying to find any loopholes in the arrangement, but she couldn't. "Deal."

Potter stuck out his hand to shake Lily's. She took it, noticing that his hands were warm and gentle.

When Lily released it, she saw Remus shoot her a look and then glance at the ceiling in a very pointed way. Potter and Black grinned, and turned to run away, but not before Lily had her wand out.

"_Colloshoo!_" Lily said. Both Potter and Black tripped from the slimy coating covering their shoes.

With a bang, hot pink goo exploded from the ceiling, thoroughly soaking all of the Gryffindors from head to toe. Lily spat some out of her mouth. It was quite disgusting.

"_Scourgify,_" Lily said, waving her wand over the pink goo. "This sure as hell wasn't part of the deal, Potter!"

"_Stupefy!_" a voice yelled.

Mary yelped as a spell caught her in the chest. She fell to the ground, unmoving.

"_Taratangellra!_" Potter shouted, now free of Lily's charm once her concentration broke.

Lily backed away with her wand out. From both sides she recognized the Slytherins who had ambushed Alice and her at the Owlery, plus several second and third years watching in case Avery and his gang needed help. Avery and Mulciber were both pointing their wands at her. Lily looked around for aid, but everybody else was busy. James was dodging a multitude of hexes thrown his way by a second year with Sirius covering his back from Severus. Lily saw Remus engage Rabastan Lestrange while Alice was busy with Rosier who had just filled in for Wilkes after Alice knocked his down. Marlene was fighting another second year.

Avery sneered. "This is what payback looks like, Mudblood."

"_Expelliarmus!_" Lily yelled.

Avery ducked and sent a purple jet of light her way. Lily only just leaped out of the way.

"_Flipendo!_" Mulciber roared, but his spell was too weak. Lily stumbled back and tripped over her feet. Mulciber raised his wand a second time, but Lily was too quick.

"_Steleus!_" she cried as her hex hit Mulciber in the face. He started sneezing, much too preoccupied to aim well at any opponent.

Avery raised his wand with a satisfied grin at Lily lying on the floor. "_Conjunc-_"

"_Flipendo!_"

With a loud bang Avery flew back into a painting of a pretty little girl who yelped and ran into the one of the left where several monks hastily made room for her. Lily winced as she heard a _snap _that was most likely Avery's arm which he had held out in an effort to protect himself. He slid to the ground with a trickle of blood on the corner of his mouth, clearly out cold with the splintered painting dangling over his head.

"Achoo! _Stu-_"

"_Expelliarmus!_" Potter was at her side now. His spell caught Mulciber in the chest and caused his to stumble and trip over his own two feet. Lily saw that the second year Potter had been dueling previously had erupted into painful hives. Black was still dueling Severus; Marlene was stirring on the ground, and Remus had been hurt with a Stinging Hex. It was now her, Potter, Alice, and Black against at least fifteen Slytherins.

"Thanks."

He grinned cheerfully, bowed, and said, "Anything for a lady."

Lily rolled her eyes and together, they started dueling a third year who had decided to show up and help his fellow Slytherins.

"STOP! Merlin's beard, what is going on?"

All around students were coming up from the feast. Lily realized that the only common room near them was Gryffindor's, and breathed a sigh of relief as many Gryffindor students came forward to help the only four Gryffindors still standing. Mulciber jumped and turned to run before a sixth year girl silently shot a jet of red light which hit him in the back, and Mulciber toppled over.

"Oh, no you don't!" Emmie yelled as many Slytherins tried to run, "You're not getting away this easily!"

Potter laughed as the third year they were fighting together quickly held up his hands in surrender as a burly seventh year approached him, brandishing his wand threateningly. Lily watched as Kingsley the Third Year leaned over Mary and poked her with his wand, muttering something Lily couldn't hear.

"You!" The burly seventh yelled at the Slytherins, most of them flinching at the sound of a angry seventh year, "A week's worth of detentions for all of you, and one hundred points from Slytherin. Attacking unsuspecting first years? Dispicable."

"You can't do that. Only teacher's can!" Lily had to admire the nerve of the second year.

The seventh year just smirked and pointed at a silver badge with the initials HB. "Ah, but as Head Boy, I have the special privilege of being able to take points as I please. Now shut up, or I'll take more off Slytherin for disrespect."

He turned to Lily and Potter. "Are you okay?"

Lily nodded.

Emmie came up behind her and put her arm around Lily. "Come on, you're all going up to Hospital Wing." Lily let herself be guided by Emmie.

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"Ms. Vance, what happened." Madam Pomfrey, the school matron, hurried forward as everyone who participated in the duel flooded the doors. James noticed that many of the older Gryffindors who had taken up the fight were nowhere around. Perhaps they were too experienced to even suffer so much as a scratch from third years. James couldn't wait to be able to battle with as much ease as the older Gryffindors did.

"They were provoked." Emmie said as she steered Evans and Prewett towards the back of the Hospital Wing far away from the unconscious Slytherins. She set to work on Macdonald and McKinnon.

"We need to know," Emmie addressed James, "What happened?"

James glanced at Evans who was glaring at him. She, apparently, was not ready to forgive for the pink goo. James privately thought that she had her revenge by sticking them under it as well.

"Well," James started. Evans glanced at him, curious as to what his version of the story was. "We were meeting the girls for a truce between us." Emmie silently asked Evans if that was the story, and Evans nodded. "Then somebody behind us stunned Mary. It was the Slytherins you found us fighting. We started a fight: me against a second year, Sirius against Snape, Remus against Lestrange, Prewett against Wilkes and later Rosier, and Evans against Mulciber and Avery at the same time."

Emmie smiled at Evans, proud that her protégé for the past month had been able to win in a 2 vs. 1 duel. James was slightly indignant that nobody had congratulated him for beating a second year in fifteen seconds.

"Peter had gone to get help. After Evans beat them, both she and I fought a third year, and that was when all the Gryffindors showed up."

Emmie nodded and got up. Evans looked a little disappointed that her friend would leave so soon. "I'll tell Dumbledore about this. In the meantime, don't leave this Hospital Wing until Madam Pomfrey has discharged you, or else she'll make the Slytherins seem tame."

James cracked a smile at the joke.

* * *

><p>"You okay, Remus?" Sirius asked their friend after being discharged from the Hospial Wing.<p>

Remus shrugged. "Fine. It was just the attack."

He was looking pale and sickly. Bags were clear beneath his eyes, and his skin had taken a clammy and pale tinge. The scars on his face stuck out more than usual.

"Really? Because you weren't looking well before either." Sirius pointed out.

Remus shrugged and wouldn't meet James's eyes. "Just tired. We have a lot more schoolwork than I thought we would."

With that, Remus hurried up the stairs before Sirius could ask anything else.

"Do you get the feeling he's not telling us something?" James whispered to Sirius.

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

"Lily."

Lily jumped at her name being called. She whipped around with her wand out. Two surprise attacks in her first two months here had taught her to be on her guard at all times regardless of first or fifth year.

Lily lowered her wand at the person before her. It was only Severus.

"Sev, what are you doing here?" Lily asked. "Shouldn't you be in the Hospital Wing with your friends?"

Severus flinched. Lily hadn't meant it to come out so unkindly, but she wouldn't forget that Avery had cursed Alice and tried to duel Lily unfairly. Yet Severus still called Avery his friend.

"I'm sorry. I thought it was just Alice and the Marau-"

"Just my friends, right?" Lily interrupted coolly. "You're supposed to be my friend too. If you want to apologize, think about how you would feel if I was the one to get stunned. You may not like them, but please, Severus, promise me you won't try to catch them off guard again."

"I didn't know you would be there." Severus seemed to be looking at any excuse for forgiveness.

Lily saw that he truly was sorry about her and the fight. "Sev, just one thing."

Severus looked up, hopeful and relieved at the same time.

"Don't attack me or my friends again."


	7. The First Quidditch Game

**The First Quidditch Game**

_Lily POV_

"Lily? Oh, Liiiiiily?"

"What, Alice?" Lily grumbled. It was Saturday, and Lily was well within her rights to sleep in. Whether the person waking her from a peaceful sleep was Alice or Potter, they would regret the moment she could think straight.

"First Quidditch match is today. Gryffindor versus Slytherin. That's always the best game to watch."

Lily groaned. "So?"

"SO?" Alice yelled. Lily jumped up, fully awake. Having a girl scream in her ear was not her ideal alarm clock, but Alice didn't care. "So? You have to support Gryffindor. Everybody will be there. Now get up!"

Alice yanked the covers off Lily. She moaned and tried to hold onto at least one, but Alice wouldn't allow it. Lily shivered at the sudden contact with the cold November air. She wished that she had worn more than a tank top and shorts to bed.

"LILY AZAELA EVANS! If you don't get up right now, so help me Merlin, I will-"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll make me wish I was never born," Lily finished for her best friend, very annoyed at the fact that she didn't have anything to keep her warm.

Lily was now sitting in the Great Hall, oblivious to the chatter around her. She thought longingly of her book up in her dormitory. It was just sitting up there, all alone, ready to be opened…

"Uh-uh," Alice tsked, "You are going to go down to the game, have fun, and loosen up a little." Lily groaned. Why did it have to be that Alice knew exactly what she was thinking with just a glance?

Lily noticed the Gryffindor Quidditch team sitting together, barely eating anything. A sixth year who looked very much like the Head Boy tried to talk to his team, but no sound came out. The three Chasers, two boys and one girl, didn't even attempt to touch their forks. Lily recognized Kingsley trying to talk to them.

"He's one of the beaters," Alice whispered in Lily's ear. "Mark Wood is the Keeper and Captain," She pointed to the sixth year, "and his older brother, George, is the Head Boy. I've heard this year's Chasers are fairly good, but certainly not the best. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Harper Johnson are the beaters." Lily saw Harper Johnson sitting next to Kingsley. He looked like a sixth or seventh year.

Without a word, the Quidditch team got up and walked out of the Great Hall. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw cheered while loud boos could be heard from the Slytherin table.

"C'mon, you two," Marlene said to Mary and Lily. "We'll miss the game."

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the season!" Lily looked up and saw the commentator, a skinny fifth year wearing Gryffindor colors. "Today's game is Slytherin versus Gryffindor. And here come the teams now."<p>

Lily looked down and saw two teams with seven people on each, one team in scarlet and the other in emerald green.

"Captain Wood has put together an amazing team this year,"-Boos from the Slytherins-"Course it's Gryffindor, so it will always be amazing."-More booing-"On the other hand, Slytherin puts the biggest people on the field, regardless of talent. A perfect example is-"

"Vallender!" Professor McGonagall shouted. Vallender was commentating under the close eye of McGonagall. Everyone but the Slytherins laughed at Vallender's comments, Lily thought Vallender did have a point now that she saw the Slytherin team. All of them were twice as tall as Lily. Only a couple of the Gryffindors matched the size: Wood and Johnson. The Seeker on the Gryffindor team was a tiny fifth year; The Slytherin counterpart dwarfed Gryffindor's Seeker's size many times.

"Well, I _was_ going to say Flint, but seeing as our dear Mc G here won't hear a word against it-"

"Madam Hooch walks out onto the field to start the game!" McGonagall yelled into the microphone.

Lily giggled and turned to Alice, "Are the commentators always this biased?"

Alice looked at her, disbelieving. "You're asking if a student of an opposing House in unbiased while the competing team is their rival? And I thought you were smart, Lily Evans."

"Captains, shake hands," Madam Hooch said over the loud crowd. Lily saw the two captains grip each other with unnecessary force. She flinched, feeling for Captain Wood.

"And Riley Wallows takes the Quaffle immediately-excellent Chaser, a great find four years ago, probably one of the best Chasers Gryffindor has ever had-she swerves around Jugson. Duck! That's a Bludger, Riley! She dodges the Bludger, passes to Gale Hadger-did I mention he is an awesome dueler? One time he sent two of the Slytherins to the Hospital Wing. Don't worry, they deserved it. Gale with the the Quaffle now-OUCH!"

Lily gasped as a Slytherin Chaser rammed into Hadger.

"FOUL!" The Gryffindors screamed. Lily noticed the Marauders in the front row. Potter and Black were practically hanging out of their seats, screaming at Madam Hooch to give Gryffindor a penalty.

"Foul! Yes, and Hooch gives a penalty to Gryffindor. Thanks, Hooch! And Riley taking the Quaffle, she shoots-SHE SCORES!"

Lily cheered with the rest of the Gryffindors. Alice was jumping up and down, frantically waving her red and gold flag.

"Slytherins in possession now, Rosier with the Quaffle. He's taking it up the field, Riley coming at him-PUNCH HIM IN THE NOSE, RILEY-only joking, Mc G- Rosier swerves Riley. No stopping to flirt with my best mate's girlfriend, now," Vallender warned.

Lily laughed loudly. She didn't know which was more interesting, the commentary or the game.

"Rosier passes to Pucey-No, intercepted by Riley, who passes to Zach Ryans. He's a new find this year, first game ever. He ducks a Bludger sent his way by a Slytherin Beater-Can't remember his name. I think he's the one who just learned how to read, or is it the other? Maybe both-Zach swerves another Bludger. He's coming up on the Keeper now. Don't worry, all Slytherins suck except for Slughorn and Andromeda Black. Zach shoots AND SCORES! Twenty-zero to Gryffindor!"

The rest of the game continued like that. Gryffindor's Chasers were pretty good. They passed back and forth, usually ending in a goal. Kingsley and Johnson flew around, pelting Bludgers at any Slytherins. Several times they made contact, and Lily shut her eyes so she wouldn't see anybody's arm get broken. The Chasers for Slytherin were bad. Thirty minutes into the game, and they only scored eight goals while Gryffindor had twenty.

"Wait a minute, was that the Snitch?" Vallender interrupted his own commentary. Lily saw the Gryffindor Seeker shoot across the pitch, her ponytail straight out behind her. The Slytherin Seeker was gaining on her.

"GO! GO! GO!" The Gryffindors screamed at their Seeker.

"COME ON, ALEXANDRA! BEAT HIM!" Vallender was yelling into the microphone. "YOU CAN DO IT!"

Lily watched with her hands clutching her hair as Alexandra was neck and neck with the Slytherin Seeker. They dove, and Lily couldn't look away. Lily caught the flash of gold twenty feet away…ten feet…five feet…four…three…two…one…

"ALEXANDRA CATCHES THE SNITCH! _GRYFFINDOR WINS_! HA! Take that, you dirty-"

McGonagall yanked the microphone away from Vallender until he stopped the potty mouth comments and had started happily shouting the results for the whole school to hear. The final score was three hundred and fifty to eighty.

Alice grabbed Lily and hugged her tightly.

"Do I have you convinced that Quidditch games are fun to be at?"

Lily chuckled. "Definitely."


	8. Messages and Merriment

**Messages and Merriment**

The Hogwarts Express chugged through the countryside with snow falling gently on the farms while Lily, Alice, and Mary sat in a compartment with Dorcas and her friends, Sara Gonzalez and the Smith twins, Elena and Barbara. Marlene was staying at Hogwarts with her older brother, Max, because her parents were visiting her oldest brother in Portugal while Severus had given Lily the excuse that he had to sit with his friends from Slytherins.

Lily was sure that Slytherin was changing Severus. For one thing, whenever his new friends were around he would say a quick good-bye to Lily and head off in the opposite direction even if she was in the middle of a sentence. For another, Severus's friends were nowhere near civil towards Lily and her friends, particularly Mary and Lily.

"Lily? Earth to Lily?" Mary waved a hand in front of Lily's face.

Lily snapped back into reality. "I'm sorry, dozed off."

"We can see that," Dorcas said. "We asked you what you were doing for Christmas."

"Oh," Lily's mind drifted to her home and Petunia. She remembered Petunia's comment that her Christmas present would be no Lily present, but her parent's wanted her home more than anything. They hadn't seen their little girl for almost four months, so Lily settled for getting Petunia a little snow globe with a skating bear. "I'm going home. Just me, my parents, and Tuney."

Mary frowned. "As in Petunia, your sister?" Lily had only told her dorm mates the rough version of their relationship: Petunia greatly disliked her, and the feeling was mutual between the two sisters. Not even Alice had the finer details, though Lily was revealing a little bit at a time. She had no doubt that the four girls around her were trustworthy, but she had been best friends with her sister for nine years before all of those good times were thrown back in her face cruelly, and Lily would be reminded every time she went home.

"But how could anybody hate Lily?" Dorcas asked.

Lily blushed and smiled, "She's jealous that I get to go to Hogwarts, and she was stuck in a Muggle school."

Alice shook her head. "It's her loss."

The train pulled into the station, and all seven girls were some of the last people off.

"Mum!" Alice yelled. She ran right into Mrs. Prewett's arms, nearly tackling her over. Lily saw Mary hug her parents who were staring at the station in wonder. She looked a little farther and saw Potter with an older couple. He looked remarkably like his father with the messy hair, though Mr. Potter's hair was grey rather than Potter's jet black with white on the temples; Lily wondered how old they were- most of the parents looked at least a decade younger.

"Lily!" Lily saw her mother standing with open arms, smiling at her youngest daughter with twinkling green eyes that Lily had inherited. Without hesitation, Lily jumped into her mother's arms, happy that she was back after four months apart. Lily realized that her eyes were slightly wet. It really had been a long time.

Hugging her father, Lily looked around for Petunia. She was nowhere to be found. "Tuney's not here?" Lily tried to keep the sadness out of her voice, but her mother knew Lily too well.

"She's at her friend's house."

Lily vaguely wondered which friend. Ever since she and Severus had become fast friends, Petunia had spent more and more time with her 'normal' friends. Lily tried not to let Petunia see how much that hurt Lily, but Petunia noticed. They were sisters after all, no matter how much Petunia wanted that to change.

"Jane, how are you?" her mother called. It took a moment for Lily to realize that Alice's mother was called Jane.

"Very good. My cousin, Molly Weasley, just had a baby boy. They've named him William."

"Oh, congratulations."

The two women started to exchange pleasantries while Lily followed her father to the car, still thinking about Petunia's absence.

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"Mum, you're embarrassing me," said James as he hugged his mother tightly.

"Oh, Jaime, I'm happy to see you too," his mother replied.

"Yeah, Jaime, show some love," snickered Sirius as he stood awkwardly to the side, watching James and his parents interact with the slightest bit of- was it envy? Either way, Sirius' smile didn't quite reach his eyes, and James noticed a disconcerting woman who more resembled a hag standing at the entrance, glaring at Sirius.

"Hey, Mum? Can Sirius stay with us for Christmas? He and his family are in a little bit of a…er…disagreement."

Mrs. Potter smiled kindly at Sirius. "Of course you can, sweetie. Jaime's told us about you, and I must say: I do not approve of that hag who calls you her son." Here, Mrs. Potter met Mrs. Black's eyes and glowered. "In fact, I might just need to have some words with her."

Sirius glanced uneasily at James, but Mr. Potter just followed his wife, and the two boys hurried to keep up.

"Walburga," said Mrs. Potter.

Mrs. Black just sneered at Mrs. Potter. "Dorea, still alive I see. If it wasn't for the fact that Father loved you and made it so you couldn't disappear from our family tree, you would be off the tapestry and live in shame of no longer being a part of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

"Oh, Merlin's socks! I was hoping you would. I hate being reminded that I'm related to you," said Mrs. Potter said, snapping her fingers for emphasis. "Anyways, I came to tell you that Sirius will be staying with us for Christmas. Good-bye, Walburga."

Short, simple, straight to the point and gone.

Mrs. Potter turned and grabbed both Sirius and James before walking away with Mrs. Black yelling, "Good! I can barely stand the shame of one blood-traitor with the name of Black, let alone two in my house!"

Mrs. Potter kept walking until they Disapparated.

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

"So how are things going at your house?" Lily asked as the snow swirled around them in the park Lily knew only too well.

Severus shrugged. "The usual. Everybody hates everybody." Severus trailed off, gazing at the setting sun.

Moments like these were getting less frequent at Hogwarts for Lily. She had her friends while he continued to hang out with the Slytherin gang. Half the time Severus was getting teased by the Marauders while Lily yelled at them to stop whatever they were doing at the time.

Lily squeezed Severus's hand gently. "I don't hate you. Don't listen to what your father told you. You're definitely worth the food money."

Severus smiled gratefully at Lily. "Thanks, Lils." He reached up to brush some snow off her shoulder. "That means a lot to me."

"I'm just saying the truth."

Silence followed for a couple more minutes, and Lily stuffed her hands further into her pockets. The biting cold had long ago frozen her nose and ears.

"Sometimes I wish we could have stayed at the castle. It's supposed to be amazing during Christmas," Lily said wistfully. "If it wasn't for my parents, it would cost more than 500 galleons to get me to waste Christmas on Tuney."

"Maybe next year we can," Severus suggested.

Lily shook her head. "I already spend ten months away from Mummy and Dad. I need to spend Christmas with them, and they need me to stay here during the holidays."

Severus looked slightly put off by that, but Lily tried to cheer him up. "It's Christmas. I'm sure my parents won't have a problem letting you eat with us."

He smiled and together, they watched the snow fall peacefully for several hours until Lily's mother ushered called them back to the warm house full of the delicious smell of Rose Evans' Homemade Winter Fudge.

* * *

><p>"Wake up!" a shrill voice called through Lily's door.<p>

Lily groaned and rolled over. It had been forever since Petunia had woken her up like that, and she was wondering how a voice like that had gotten her excited before when she was younger. It was something Lily did not want to hear again.

"What did you say?" her sister snapped at Lily's groan. "If it's not something nice, then I'll tell Mummy."

"Nothing, nothing…"

Lily glanced at her alarm clock. It read 7:00. Her temper flared, and she yelled, "Why in Merlin's name are you waking me up this early?"

"Christmas! Since you didn't give me the present I wanted, I took the liberty to wake you up and watch me get some of things I actually wanted."

"I still got you a present." Lily muttered as she pulled on her plush bathrobe. Of course, Chirstmas. How could she have forgotten? A sarcastic little voice in her head told her it was to be expected if she was getting woken up at seven o'clock in the morning.

Lily hurried into her living room. The fireplace was crackling merrily, and Lily relished the warmth it gave off. Her parents were sitting on the couch with a camera ready in her father's hands. Petunia was sitting on the other sofa with a pile of presents surrounding her. She had already started on some of the chocolate in her stocking.

Lily took her favorite seat on the squashy armchair similar to the ones in the Gryffindor common room. Her pile of presents, she noticed, was slightly smaller than Petunia's large one. Her sister had certainly tried to be popular at school, and it had finally paid off.

Lily picked up her first one. It read _To Lily, From Alice. _Lily ripped open the paper, and giggled. Alice had sent her two gifts. The real one was a picture set in a fancy silver frame which read _Friends, Friends, Friends_. Lily watched as she, Alice, Mary, and Marlene waved energetically at the real Lily. Lily laughed as Alice stood in her and gave a fake speech, using her hands majestically. All four girls in the picture rolled around laughing. The second present was a gag gift: a book.

Lily continued through her presents. Mary had gotten her a box of sweets including Bertie Bott's and Lily's favorite, Chocolate Frogs. Marlene sent her a brand new Gryffindor hat with a matching scarf and gloves. Dorcas: a stuffed lion that really roared loudly. Lily smirked when she noticed her sister flinching at the lion.

Lily moved through her presents to a small one underneath.

_To Lily-Flower, From The Marauders_

_Don't worry, nothing dangerous._

Lily cautiously unwrapped it. It was a letter and a small Sneakoscope.

_Dear Lily-Bean,_

_We would like to congratulate you on all the pranks you have caught. We will say that it is amazing that you, a fellow Gryffindor, catch us the most. Your temper is surprisingly terrifying. Just to let you know, you have not caught us doing most of the pranks. We beg you, Marauders to Pretty Gryffindor: please, don't keep up the good work._

_Have a Happy and Marauder-less (Until Now) Christmas,_

_The Marauders._

_P.S- If you want to know if we are lying most of the time, the Sneakoscope should usually help you._

Lily laughed aloud at the letter. They really were funny sometimes.

The next one was from Severus. She opened it and gasped too softly for her parents and Petunia to hear. It was a necklace. Granted, it was only a thin silver chain with a tiny pearl dangling on the end, but it was very pretty. She was touched at the present, but also slightly confused. Severus was only her friend, so why would he give her this. It wasn't like they were dating or anything.

The last two were from Petunia and her parents. She opened her parent's first. It was the new jacket Lily had been trying to get since she first saw it earlier this year.

She held Petunia's present. Lily glanced at her sister, who was looking determinedly at the far wall. Inside was a pair of cute boots and a simple ballpoint pen. The boots, Lily knew, were to please her parents so they would see just a gift, but the normal pen was clearer than any letter her sister could have written.

_I'm normal, you aren't_.

Lily was barely listening to her mother's laughter at Mrs. Prewett's present of a very large box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, who had remembered Lily's mother's fascination with the sweets.

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"Oi, wake up, mate!" Sirius threw a pillow at James's head. Sirius was spending Christmas at the Potter Mansion since his own house would always be very awkward and unpleasant, particularly his mother. James's parents had welcomed him with open arms. They knew the reputation of most Blacks and the trouble at the Black house with Sirius and the Slytherin, pure-blood loving family.

James was about to yell at his best friend when he remembered that it was Christmas. James leapt up and threw his own pillow, which hit Sirius. Sirius wasn't mad about the thrown pillow, but that it had messed up his hair.

"GAH! What did you do to my hair?" Sirius almost screamed.

"Oh, shut up. You just got out of bed. It was messy anyway."

"Boys!" James's mother called from the hallway.

"Coming, Mum." James turned to Sirius and grinned. "Ready for presents?"

Sirius laughed. "When am I not?"

* * *

><p>"Cool!" James held out his present from his parents. It was a huge poster of the Puddlemere United Quidditch team, large enough to cover a third of his wall.<p>

James unwrapped his next present. It was from Peter and contained a enormous box of sweets from Honeyduke's, including Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Sugar Quills, Licorice Wands, Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties, and Chocolate Frogs. James noticed Sirius gazing longingly at James's present. James wrapped his arm around them protectively. "I'm sure you have your fair share."

Sirius had given him a miniature model of a Quidditch pitch the players zoomed around just like a normal game. James watched as a red player knocked a green player off his broom. With a start, James realized the red team was Gryffindor and the green team was Slytherin. He smirked at the terrible Slytherin team. It was a perfect representation of their team's lack of talent this year.

He opened the rest of his presents: a Puddlemere United hat, a box of Dungbombs, Nose-Biting Teacups, and a bunch of other prankster goods, and a picture of all four Marauders sitting by a tree near the Black Lake which Sirius had dubbed The Marauder's Tree.

His mother picked him up and swung him around. "Merry Christmas, sweetie."

"Happy Halloween, Mrs. Potter." Sirius said, winking.

* * *

><p>"Be good, boys," called Mrs. Potter as she waved her wand over her gray hair with a few visible auburn hairs that had managed to escape the threatening gray and white. "Dilly and Marlene's brother are in charge."<p>

She was wearing a maroon dress that fell to her ankles with gold jewelry to complement her attire while Mr. Potter wore the traditional dress robes. James was wearing sweatpants and a Quidditch jersey for Puddlemere United; he obviously was not going to the New Year's Eve Ball that the Fudges were hosting this year.

Every year one of the old and prestigious families hosted a party that was invite-only, but the invite list hardly ever changed: all of the well-known pure-blooded families and most of the high-ranking officials in the Ministry and other institutions like St. Mungo's with some celebrities, so of course, the Potters had been invited every year.

The only thing keeping James and Sirius from going was their age; while the invitees could invite one other person, they all had to be of age. James had never been to one obviously (not that he wanted to), but it was supposed to be the grandest event of the year.

"We will, Mrs. Potter," said Sirius as he shoved yet another Chocolate Frog in his mouth.

"I asked you to call me Dorea, dear. All this Mrs. Potter makes me feel older than I am. Dilly!" Mrs. Potter called.

Dilly, the Potter's house-elf, Apparated with a _pop_ next to Mrs. Potter. "Mistress Dorea asked for Dilly?" Dilly said, bowing so low that his long nose almost touched the plush carpet.

"When Maxwell gets here, advise him on how to best handle those two bundles of energy," said Mr. Potter, managing to point at James and Sirius and adjust his bowtie at the same time, a remarkable feat.

Dilly bowed again. "Dilly will do whatever Master wants. Dilly is delighted to be able to serve the Potters; it is an honor, Master."

Mrs. Potter smiled fondly at the house-elf. "We appreciate your work too, Dilly. Charlus, we best be off to the Prewetts."

"I'm ready when you are, dear."

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

"But since you have to be at least seventeen to attend, I can't go, but I can't stay there either," said Alice as they sat on Lily's bed. The clock read five in the afternoon, and the sun had already disappeared behind the trees. "Most of the pure-blood families always send their kids to other peoples houses, and Mum wanted me to go to the Marchbanks house, but I convinced her to let me spend time with you instead. Marlene and her brother are at the Potters, and-"

"Potter? As in James Potter?" asked Lily. Alice had told her about the New Year's Eve Ball, but she had failed to mention Potter was related to anybody in the ball.

Alice just replied grimly, "As much as a jerk he is, the Potters are one of the oldest and most influential families. The only other people who are always invited are…let's see…the Malfoys, a bunch of prejudice gits, and the Blacks, Lestranges, Crouches, Fudges, and the Selwyns. Unfortunately, all those families have enough money, but most are pure-blood fanatics who are all for exterminating Muggles and Muggle-borns. The Ministry doesn't care as long as they get some money."

"And jerks like Potter."

"Lily, it's only the Potter at school your thinking of. I've met his parents, and they are incredibly nice. It's just Black's family you have to watch out for."

Lily's lower lip jutted out slightly as she frowned. "I didn't think that he hated me for being a Muggle-born. I was under the impression that he just didn't like me."

"Sirius Black doesn't get along with his family. You heard his Howler that his mother sent him-"

"Hard not to," snorted Lily, thinking back to the screaming voice.

"-and that's the definition of a pure-blood extremist. Black is just annoying, but you also saw some of his family in Slytherin. Bellatrix Black, for one."

The vindictive sneer on the beautiful woman's face flashed in Lily's mind's eye, and she swallowed. No, Sirius Black may be a Marauder and a troublemaker, but he was nothing like his relative.

"If it's mainly pure-bloods, are there _any_ half-bloods or Muggle-borns?" asked Lily. It seemed like everywhere she looked, there was always a reminder that she wasn't fully accepted by wizardkind.

"There are a couple of half-bloods who attend like Harriet Morison. She's the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, but she's getting old and is probably going to retire soon. I'm not sure-oh! Frederick Ford. He's the Senior Advisor to the Minister, and Gregory Slavish, Chief Executive of the National Quidditch League. There are probably a couple others I've forgotten."

"Muggle-borns?"

Alice hung her head shamefully, like she was embarrassed by how the other pure-bloods behaved. "No. Victoria Gobsworth, you know, Director of St. Mungo's, she went to it for the last several years until she, well, disappeared. Fifteen years ago, the Ministry passed a law that any head or director or executive of anything that is government-funded must prove a blood relation to one of the old pure-blood families. I think they were close to inviting Zachary Hilbert, a Wizengamot member, but they changed their minds."

"I thought that Victoria Gobsworth was a Muggle-born."

"She was, but she discovered that one of her great-great-great-grandfathers or someone was a Weasley. I don't think that the Wizengamot liked that a Muggle-born found a loophole, but she was related to the Weasley family, so there was nothing keeping her from becoming Director."

"I thought that Muggle-borns like me didn't have any Wizarding ancestry."

"It's a theory that the Department of Mysteries is working on. All Muggle-borns are descended from squibs of wizard families and that the magical history has just been forgotten. Victoria Gobsworth was just lucky she was able to prove it. At least, until she died. That means that somewhere far up your family tree, Lily, we're family."

"I have no guarantee that it is the Prewetts I'm related too."

"All pure-blood families are interrelated. The trick is to find somebody that you don't share that recent of an ancestor. I heard that one time Rodolphus Lestrange got pretty far with a girl until they discovered they were cousins, although given the amount of insanity and instability in the Lestranges and Yaxleys, it wouldn't make much of a difference even if the two of them did start popping out mini Lestranges."

Lily made a face. The pure-bloods had a lot handed to them, but she still found some comfort that despite all of the privileges pure-bloods had, there were still disadvantages to being related to a lot of other Hogwarts students. She shuddered at the image of making out with a relative and not even knowing until after.

"Anyhoos," said Alice, clapping her hands and startling Marigold awake with an indignant hoot, "Back to the New Year's Eve Ball. My mother showed me some of the dresses that people wore, and they were absolutely _gorgeous_. When we go, you, me, Marlene, and Mary have to spend an entire day devoted to getting the dresses. We can shop for shoes and accessories the next day."

"But Alice," complained Lily, "You just said that no Muggle-borns like me and Mary can go."

"First off: I talked to Mum, and she said Mary would be considered a half-blood-"

"That makes me feel so much better."

"-and besides, all invitees are able to invite one other person. I can invite you, and Marlene can invite Mary. It's perfect!"

Lily bit her lip. "If most of the people there don't like Muggle-borns, I don't think it would be the best idea to attend."

"It's only the Malfoys and Blacks who all hate Muggle-borns."

"And Lestranges. And Flints, Crabbes, Goyles, Averys, Mulcibers…"

Alice seemed determined to win. "But there are a lot of people who whole-heartedly agree with Muggle-born rights. They won't mind the slightest. Take my family, Weasleys, Bones, Marlene's family, and the Potters, we all like Muggle-borns."

"…and then there are the people who don't hate Muggle-borns but will still look down on me."

"There's over three hundred people who go annually. They won't recognize you. This may be a surprise to most people, but you look the same as all the pure-bloods and half-bloods. By the way, the decorations are marvelous. One of the old families hosts the party, a different one each year, and some of the manors are enormous. My family's house is half the size of some of the entrance halls."

It sounded like everything Alice said contradicted what she said before. "I thought that all pure-bloods lived in mansions."

Alice shook her head. "Depends. While my family are still pure-bloods, we aren't as rich and powerful as some of the families, so we have a nice house even if it isn't anywhere near as nice as the Malfoys or Crouches. There is a reason why Potter is so spoiled."

Lily huffed. "It seems like the Potters are everywhere, and I hate snobby rich people who think that they own the land. I can see where Potter gets his arrogance."

"I think some of that is just being an eleven-year-old with influential parents and a good broomstick."

Lily shrugged. "Oh well-"

Lily stopped and sniffed the air to smell the most delicious scent which could only mean one thing: Rose Evans' Homemade Winter Fudge


	9. Final Days as a First Year

**Final Days as a First Year**

"Finals are coming in just around the corner. I should have started studying _weeks _ago!" Lily said as the four of the Gryffindor girls lounged around the grounds with the brilliant June sun beating down on them; Lily was deeply grateful she had learned the Cooling Charm.

"Relax, Lily. They aren't for another week," said Marlene as she produced a mirror from her bag and ruffled her hair. "You worry too much. You're guaranteed an Outstanding in Charms and Potions. Flitwick and Slughorn absolutely adore you."

"You don't know that! For all I know, I'll be sent home packing because I failed Herbology… or… or… Transfiguration."

"Oh, please, sweetie," said Marlene, "Even if you say that it's your worst subject, you're going to get _at least _an Exceeds Expectations."

"McGonagall says I've been between an Acceptable and Exceeds Expectations! It'll be my worst subject, you just wait!" said Lily, wildly pointing a finger at Marlene as if she dared her to say one more word of how she could perform the Transfiguration practical with both hands tied behind her back.

"Hey, Lily, how would you explain the Hover Charm?" Alice asked. She was currently pouring over her Charms notes with Mary. Even though Lily considered Charms to be one of the easiest subjects, she was the only person who was getting an 'O' so far in that class, though Lily kept up the pessimistic thoughts and was convinced she would get a 'P'.

"It's supposed to lift an object, but the maximum height depends on the caster's power. You say '_Wingardium Leviosa_', and you say that while you do the swish and flick."

"Nerd," muttered Mary as she tried but was only able to get the rock she was levitating a few feet in the air before it fell down.

Lily stuck out her tongue childishly.

"Alice, quiz me on Herbology. Lily will have my head if I don't start studying," said Marlene.

She handed her notes to Alice, but Alice waved them down. "I'll quiz myself at the same time. Don't hand me the notes."

"Showoff," said Mary.

"What…is the proper way to care for a… Bouncing Bulb?"

"Oh, I know this! I know this… Crap! I don't know this."

Lily spaced out on Alice and Marlene's little study session, instead trying to concentrate on Transfiguration, which, despite her friends' assurances, she was sure was going to be hard.

"I'm going to go see Professor McGonagall," Lily announced, grabbing her bag, "You want to come, Mary?"

"Sure, Merlin knows I need help in that subject."

* * *

><p>Lily passed several classrooms full of fifth and seventh years studying endlessly for their O. and N.E.. Although the teachers had piled on homework, Lily knew that it was nothing compared to fifth and seventh years; she doubted that she would be able to survive fifth year, let alone seventh.<p>

"Look, it's Emmie!" Mary whispered as the two girls passed a classroom with the door open.

Indeed, the Gryffindor fifth year girls were practicing a bunch of spells that Lily guessed was Transfiguration. Emmie was currently helping a girl that Lily recognized as Alexandra Hopkirk, the Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team by demonstrating a wand movement. Lily also saw Chaser star Riley Wallows and a girl that Lily thought was called Heather Nevermore, a girl addicted to Exploding Snap.

Alexandra Hopkirk mimicked Emmie's wand movement, and a small teacup that was sitting on the table vanished.

Yep, she wouldn't be able to survive fifth year.

Lily and Mary tried to be as silent as possible as they passed Emmie's group; she didn't want to underestimate a tired and likely cranky cluster of fifth years, no matter how nice they were.

"Do you consider any of the Marauders cute?" asked Mary from out of the blue.

Lily jumped. It was the last topic of conversation that she expected to talk about right before finals.

"Well, I suppose they are, except Pettigrew, no offense, but they are the biggest jerks in the school. Why?"

Mary shrugged noncommittally. "No reason. Just curious."

"Macdonald, Evans, you two snarky girls shouldn't get in the pure-blood's way," came a high-pitched feminine flutter.

Mary gritted her teeth, and the two Gryffindor girls faced two of their counterparts in Slytherin- Dolores Umbridge and Reid Selwyn. Unlike most of the first year boys in Slytherin, Umbridge and Selwyn were the only girls who Lily felt were going to engage in an all-out war between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins.

Astoria Gamp was the only Slytherin who was civil towards Lily, although she openly disliked the Marauders because of how many times they grouped the Death Eaters and Slytherins together, but Lily didn't like them either. Violetta Yaxley completely ignored Lily and Mary, which was fine by Lily.

Mary's mouth set firmly into a scowl at the sight of them. "Your not wanted here, Umbridge, you or Selwyn."

Selwyn slinked forward. While Umbridge was squat and toad-like, Selwyn was extremely tall, almost a foot taller than Lily, and her lanky form was visible even from beneath the Hogwarts school robes.

"Macdonald, there's a little rumor going around that your grandmother married a Muggle and had a Muggle daughter; is it true?"

Mary puffed up her chest and said, "That's right. Whatever you're getting at, Umbridge, I suggest you leave before you become my target practice for some jinxes I've been itching to try."

Lily stepped forward and placed a restraining hand on Mary's arm while Reid looked between Umbridge and Mary with surprise. There was almost as much enmity between the two as there was between Lily and Mulciber, and she had to step in before it turned too ugly.

"Mary…"

Umbridge smiled evilly at Mary, giving off the impression of a toad that just swallowed a large fly. "Go ahead, but you can't do anything because you're blood's almost as bad as Evans' here, and Daddy will have your dear _Grandmamma_ in Azkaban if I just let slip that you and your messed up grandma aren't as stable as you appear to be."

Lily stepped in front of Mary and glared daggers at Umbridge. "Before you say anything that you regret, you moronic pile of toad shit, you need to leave because you don't want to push my patience right now."

"What could you do, Evans? Threaten to go to the Muggle please-men?" Selwyn said.

Lily couldn't help but giggle at Selwyn's obvious ignorance. "No, but first ask how Avery's head is doing. Or his arm for that matter. I'm not above settling fights the old fashioned way." She twirled her willow wand in her fingers for emphasis.

Umbridge just sneered. "Watch yourself, Evans. I could make you and your children's life a living hell if you don't stop."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how will you be able to do that when you have a couple of jinxes with no counter-jinx thrown at you? I think you have it flipped around. C'mon, Mary, let's go."

Lily took Mary's arm and dragged her away without a second glance at Toad-Face.

"What did Umbridge mean when she was talking about your grandmother?" Lily asked in a low voice once they were an adequate walk away from Umbridge and Selwyn.

Mary sniffed. "Grandmamma doesn't like the Ministry a lot because of all the laws favoring pure-bloods, and she's spent a little time in Azkaban for speaking out so much. Mr. Umbridge prosecuted Grandmamma, and Toad-Face just _loves_ to keep the threat of sending Grandmamma back to Azkaban looming over my head."

Lily bit her lip and glanced back to the corridor that Selwyn and Umbridge had previously been. Toad-Face really did love to use her daddy as a reason for everything. Lily was starting to consider her to be worse than Potter.

"Just ignore her and let's get to McGonagall."

* * *

><p>Lily was expecting to hear quiet or at least low whispering when they finally reached McGonagall's office, but she was not expecting screaming.<p>

"…HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD SOME STUDENTS ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW? FIFTH AND SEVENTH YEARS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING TESTS THAT COULD AFFECT THEIR ENTIRE FUTURE, AND YET YOU THINK IT'S FUNNY TO STEAL NIFFLERS FROM PROFESSOR KETTLEBURN AND SET THEM LOOSE IN ALL THE COMMON ROOMS, THE LIBRARY, THE GREAT HALL, AND OVER HALF OF THE CLASSROOMS?"

Mary and Lily looked at each other. Unless Lily was mistaken, they had just walked in on a Marauders vs. McGonagall face-off. It was incredibly rare for Lily to come across the Marauders getting caught for a prank that wasn't teasing Severus, and herself, and the Slytherins. While there were still plenty of pranks that happened like that, the majority were meant for her and Severus.

Lily silently motioned for Mary to follow her to McGonagall's open office door.

Quailing under a red-faced and furious Professor McGonagall, the three worst Marauders, meaning Potter, Black, and Pettigrew, were shuffling their feet and looking anywhere but McGonagall, and Lily felt a small bit of justice; she didn't see Remus with them, but she remembered that he had been visiting his mother who was sick again.

"I understand that twelve-year-olds like to have fun, but your three are giving me more grey hair in one year than all of my students combined! Please, have some control over your actions, and if I hear one more word that you three are even _thinking_ about planning another prank, I will have you sent to Professor Dumbledore's office for the sixth time. The consequences will be severe if you dare disrupt studying time during finals again. Do I make myself clear?"

Lily and Mary had sneaked closer during McGonagall's speech, but to Lily's disappointment, none of the Marauders looked as bad as Lily had thought they initially were.

Black raised his head and winked at McGonagall. "Ah, c'mon, Minnie," he whined, "Cut your favorite students some slack."

"Do I make myself clear?" she repeated.

The Marauders nodded glumly, and Lily couldn't help but wonder how many other pranks they had been planning for the end of the year.

"Good. Your detentions will take place with this Saturday at 5 o' clock. Mr. Pettigrew, you will be cleaning anything Madam Pomfrey wants you to do in the Hospital Wing without magic. Mr. Black, Professor Sprout would like your help separating magical fertilizer from Muggle fertilizer. Mr. Potter, you will be helping Mr. Slughorn clean the students' supply cupboard. Now away with you."

McGonagall ushered the Marauders out of her office, and Lily watched them trail past.

Potter jerked his head around as Mary sneezed, and he grinned at the two girls. Before Lily could do anything, he had already sent a hex at Mary who erupted into painful hives. She yelped.

"POTTER!" Lily yelled at Potter, and McGonagall was soon out of her office.

"Mr. Potter! You will be joining Professor Slughorn for the next two weeks. Yes, even _after_ you're done with exams."

* * *

><p>Despite Lily's constant worrying, she had surprisingly passed exams with the top score in Charms and Potions. To her immense displeasure, both Potter and Black had outscored her by a full letter and were the only students to achieve an 'O' in Transfiguration, and Mary and Alice had both managed to scrape an 'O' in Herbology.<p>

The school year had come and gone too quickly for Lily. It seemed like only yesterday that she and Severus were sitting in her bed and talking about Hogwarts late into night.

Unfortunately, they couldn't practice magic because McGonagall had handed out reminders that all students under the age of seventeen were not allowed to use magic outside of school except in life-threatening situations (Potter had very grudgingly taken the memo after McGonagall all but put a Permanent Sticking Charm on his forehead). If they did, then they would be facing expulsion which Lily was horrified to learn that they would snap her wand in two.

Although Lily followed the law, she refused to ever let anybody have the chance to break her beloved wand: she had set to learning the best Unbreakable Charm to put on her wand. She hadn't quite perfected it, and she would continue practicing when she got back to Hogwarts.

"I'll write to you, I promise. _Daily Prophet_ doesn't allow owls to Muggle-born households in suburbs because it attracts too much attention, but you still have to know what is going on in our world," said Alice as the green fields and beautiful woods rolled past the four girls.

"There hasn't been much going on either. The last thing that the Ministry was worried about was Vicotria Gobsworth, and that was months ago," said Marlene as she scanned Lily's copy of the _Daily Prophet_. "Nope, the worst thing in here is about Zachary Hilbert, a Wizengamot member, resigned and would like to live his life with minimal people interfering. His spokesman said that Wizengamot life was not what he liked, so he's living off a small family fortune that had been converted to wizard gold."

"Can I see?" asked Lily, holding out her hand for the paper. Marlene complied, and Lily stared at Zachary Hilbert. He was handsome for an older guy, only twenty-five or something. Lily watched as he smiled and waved at her through the picture, and Lily couldn't help but noticing that he seemed the opposite of a loner. Lily glanced at his achievements: Prefect, Head Boy, third youngest Wizengamot member in a century…

"Does it say his blood status?"

"He's a Muggle-born, but he's not missing. A couple of his colleagues in the Ministry visit him," said Alice as she turned to a _The Muggle Word_ puzzle book. They had a brief argument over whether Crossword puzzles were any different, and Lily had failed to convince Alice that there were Muggle alternatives to puzzles once Alice had tried one, declaring that Muggles were stupid to pick clues that were bound to fail; it wasn't like Lily saw a reason to give her a easy one, but Lily conveniently forgot to tell Alice that.

Lily stared at a rather large hill passing, and she could have sworn that she saw a five-legged creature that resembled a tarantula except that it was the size of an elephant. Another one joined it, but Lily lost sight of the creatures as the train passed a run-down building long since abandoned.

"Listen, Lily," said Alice as Mary and Marlene exited to use the loo. "I think you're overanalyzing some of these stories. There have only been three incidents this year, and they might not be related at all."

"And what if they are? There's something between these disappearances, Alice, I know it. You trust me, right?"

Alice was momentarily confused. "Of course, but-"

"Then trust me on this."

* * *

><p>The Hogwarts Express screeched to a stop, and it was well past sunset. Lily grabbed her trunk and Marigold who was asleep with her head under her wing.<p>

It was more crowded than Christmas or Easter break, but not by much.

"Grandmamma!" Mary yelled, jumping up and down, waving her arms over her head. She paused and said to Lily, "You have to meet Grandmamma. She's so cool!"

Lily didn't have time to respond as the three other girls followed Mary to a short but thin older woman with pure white hair. Though there were numerous wrinkles and other signs of age, Lily could tell she was as lively as she was fifty years ago. Her brown eyes, which were the same shade as Mary's, sparkled with amusement and pride as her granddaughter raced through the crowd of families and students.

"My goodness, you've grown! What are those house-elves feeding you, dear?" Mary's grandmother said as they approached.

Mary smiled and hugged her grandmother tightly. "Hi, Grandmamma. These are my friends; Lily Evans, Alice Prewett, and Marlene McKinnon." Mary stepped back for her grandmother to meet them.

Lily stepped forward and held out her hand. "It's lovely to meet you, ma'am."

Mary's grandmother grasped her hand firmly. "The pleasure is all mine, and you can call me Mrs. Lanceton."

As Mrs. Lanceton was introduced to Marlene and Alice, Lily saw many of her other classmates reunited with their families: Dorcas was hugging a woman who looked remarkably like her, and Beth Quagmire was with two people who looked nervous to be around so much magic- Lily remembered that Beth's parents were Muggles like Lily's own parents.

And speaking of…

"Mummy! Dad!" Lily yelled, and she ran straight into her mother's open arms. She had seen her mother several times over the past ten months, but she would never stop looking forward to hugging her mother again after school ended.

"Hello, sweetie. Your hair's longer," Mrs. Evans commented as she ran her hand through Lily's silky tresses.

"Rose, your hogging our daughter," Mr. Evans joked as he pulled Lily in for a tight hug. "Lilykins, you must have stories of Hogwarts. Funny moments in Charms, projects that were really hard, late-night adventures-"

"Richard," her mother warned, "I don't want to hear anything about you corrupting our daughter."

"…food fights…"

"Richard!"

"Sorry, dear. But really, Lils, tell me any troublemakers and how you dealt with them the Evans way," her father grinned, and Lily laughed as they fought through the crowd to the waiting car.

"Well…starting in Gryffindor, there are four boys that call themselves the Marauders, and they are the most annoying troublemakers that have walked the face of this earth…"


	10. Summer Letters

**Summer Letters**

_Lily POV_

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Lily groaned as the alarm clock blared in her ears, jerking her from a dream including Quidditch, a hag, and, to her embarrassment, James Potter.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"Shut it, you," Lily grumbled, too tired to realize she was talking to her alarm clock.

Lily twisted in her bed, her thin sheet falling to the floor as she looked at the clock through bleary eyes. She rubbed her eyes again as she saw the time: 3 o' clock.

3. In. The. Fucking. Morning.

"Petunia," Lily cursed. It was the worst time for her sister to annoy Lily, but she didn't feel sorry for Petunia for forgetting how irritable she was early in the morning. Without waiting, she slipped out of bed, a plan for revenge already in her head.

She didn't need magic for getting even with her sister; she just needed her wand, some (washable) paint, and Petunia's limited view of the magical world.

Surprising how one year with the troublesome Marauders gave Lily a new view on payback.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Marigold, I need you to stay quiet, girl. Whatever you do, don't wake Petunia," Lily whispered to Marigold as the door to Petunia's bedroom where her older sister was peacefully sleeping. Lily could barely see the top of her curlers beneath Petunia's blankets; Lily wondered how in the name of Merlin Petunia could sleep comfortably in curlers and blankets when it was summer.<p>

Marigold clicked her beak softly in understanding, and she alighted next to Petunia's nightstand, a luminous white ghost with the full moon shining softly into the spotless room.

Lily quietly tip-toed over to Petunia's closet, and she picked out one of her favorite shirts with a bottle of green paint in her hand.

* * *

><p>"Lily?" Petunia's voice was hoarse ten minutes later, and Lily had to work to keep from giggling.<p>

Marigold held Petunia's blouse in her beak, and Lily could make out the bright green writing.

_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts_

_Teach us something, please…_

With Marigold displaying her unusual intelligence, and Lily with her wand out, it was the worst scene that Petunia could imagine.

"What are you doing?" Petunia asked, now sitting up in bed and half-awake.

"Wait, Petunia! I'm almost done. Let me think…" Lily continued to gaze at the shirt as if in deep thought. She had always prided herself on acting, and Petunia was buying right into it: she really thought that Lily was charming her shirt instead of thinking about something as simple as Muggle washable paint.

"I'm just trying figure out how to get this shirt to sing. I'm almost there, just fifteen more seconds. Do you like it so far?" Grinning, Lily motioned for Marigold to hold up Petunia's top.

"Let me try a couple more charms. _Abra kedabra alakaZAM_!"

She was wrong when she predicted that Petunia would hate it. Wand out, Marigold flapping, green words, and temporarily ruined blouse…Lily had presumed that Petunia would start yelling at her.

Instead, Petunia started screeching.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU LITTLE WITCH! YOU SHOULDN'T FLAUNT YOU'RE ABNORMALITY! GET OUT! _OUT_!"

Marigold snapped her beak at Petunia's shouts in annoyance, and Lily was laughing so hard at Petunia's reaction that she almost didn't hear her confused parents' questions.

"Petunia, dear?"

"Are you alright?"

"What's going on?"

Petunia shot Lily a look of disgust, and Lily smirked. "Lily thought it would be funny to show me some of those things she learned at that- that school!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "'That school'? Honestly, Petunia, at least come up with an original insult."

Petunia glared, and Lily's parents finally rushed through the door to see Marigold holding up a defaced blouse, Lily with her wand out and a smile on her face, and Petunia looking positively furious.

"Lily Azaela Evans? What are you doing?" her mother said severely. "You know you're not supposed to use magic outside of Hogwarts."

"But I wasn't, Mummy! Petunia set my alarm clock-"

"YOU LIAR! YOU WERE TRYING TO TRICK ME, WEREN'T YOU?" Petunia shrieked.

"Two plus two, Petunia. I'm so proud of you," sneered Lily, sarcasm dripping off of every word. It was definitely too early in the morning.

* * *

><p>Marigold continued to keep Lily company as she labored in the basement. Her parents had been angry that Lily had tricked her sister like that, and so her punishment had been to clean the basement without magic. Lily thought it was unnecessary for her parents to add that bit since the Ministry would be swooping down on her if she ever did use real magic.<p>

"Marigold, you are so lucky you're only an owl," Lily said as she put the broom away. "Sometimes I wish I could just fly away from here. No get me wrong, I love Mummy and Dad, but Petunia is just so…urg! It feels like it has been a lifetime since we were actually sisters, but it's only been three years."

Lily looked at Marigold who had taken residence on a small box containing Petunia's and Lily's old toys. As if on cue, Marigold flew and landed on Lily's shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

"Lily, you have owl post!" her mother called, and Lily suddenly ran up the stairs. It had been one week since Hogwarts had sent her home to Cokeworth, and Severus had said he would spend as much time as he could with her, but so far he wasn't back from a visit with Mulciber.

"Who is it?" Lily demanded, bursting out of the door and into the kitchen.

"Alice."

Lily ignored Petunia's open dislike she always showed to Marigold tore open Alice's letter. One week away from the Wizarding world, and already she felt like she was in quarantine.

_Dear Lily,_

_PROFESSOR BANKS RESIGNED FROM HOGWARTS. Mum just heard it from Mrs. Marchbanks that she had accepted an invitation from some defense organization in Brazil. I wish you could be here at my own little party._

_I've been thinking about what you said at the end of the year. Zachary Hilbert only has some people visiting him, including a friend from the Muggle Liaison Office and a man named Antonin Dolohov. _

_I've asked my parents about Victoria Gobsworth, Bernard Thatcher, and Magnolia Rears. The only thing in common that they have is being Muggle-born and successful enough to earn recognition. I don't know what you think is the link between them besides that there may be a couple of pure-blood extremists who don't like them, but I don't think anybody, even the extremists, is capable of murder._

_Anyways, I wanted to ask you if you would like to spend the last two weeks of summer at my house fifty miles from Liverpool. You really should. Mum and Dad would love to have you over, and we can go get our stuff from Diagon Alley together._

_Please send Marigold with your answer by the end of the week. Dad needs Vinold back because he's important for his work._

_Sincerely,_

_Alice_

Lily giggled at the part about Professor Bank's resignation. She and Alice had started a feud back in the start of first year, and it had barely cooled throughout the year. It was entirely plausible for Alice to throw a party complete with hiring the Weird Sisters.

"Mummy!" Lily called, and her mother entered the kitchen from the dining room where Lily thought she could smell pine cleaner.

"What is it, sweetie?" her mother asked.

"Alice invited me to her house for the last two weeks of summer. She lives outside Liverpool."

Mrs. Evans bit her lip. "As long as you behave for the rest of the summer and don't cause drastic trouble."

_That's an opinion,_ Lily couldn't help but think, flashing back to the Marauder's antics at school: her mother's idea of bad trouble and theirs was completely different.

Nevertheless,

_Dear Alice,_

_Mum says that I can go as long as I don't cause any more trouble. I would love to see your house. Will Gideon and Fabian be there? You said that they were close to you, and I really want to meet them if their as big of troublemakers as the teachers made them out to be._

_Lots of Love,_

_Lily_

* * *

><p>Two hours later, and Marigold was sitting on the windowsill of Lily's messy bedroom; she wasted no time in reading it.<p>

_Lily,_

_First off: What do you mean by 'cause any _more_ trouble'? What did you do?_

_My parents are heading to Italy for a couple of weeks, so I'm going to be alone with Smiley, our house-elf, so I'm going to be needing somebody to write to. If you don't write, I'm sure to go crazy._

_Fabian will be there, but Gideon might be away on some assignment. You're gonna love the twins. They crack me up so much._

_Hope to see you soon!_

_Sincerely,_

_Alice_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Alice,<em>

_It's a long story, and it will be better to tell it to you in person. I will say that it involves Petunia and a forgotten fact that I don't like to be woken up early in the morning._

_Petunia's been spending a fair amount of time away from the house, and I have no clue what she's doing. I don't think that my parents notice anything, but I do. I want to ask her about it, but she'll probably throw me out of her room and tell my parents I tried to do magic again._

_Lots of Love,_

_Lily_

* * *

><p><em>Lily,<em>

_You tried to do magic? Don't you know that you'll get expelled if you use it? They're pretty strict on that stuff. Somebody two years older than my cousins was expelled because he practiced the Body-Bind Curse on a Muggle._

_But I am curious as to what your sister did. _

_As to why she's acting weird… Maybe she's doing wizejuana? Either that or she has a boyfriend. Merlin forbid if that ever happens._

_Sincerely,_

_Alice_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Alice,<em>

_Wizejuana? Is that some form of pot? If it is, I can tell you that is exactly what she is _not_ doing. Petunia's too much of a goody-two-shoes for that stuff._

_My 'trying' to do magic has to do with what Petunia did at the beginning of the summer, and I'll you that when I see you again._

_Lots of Love,_

_Lily_

* * *

><p><em>Lily,<em>

_You're killing me here. What exactly happened?_

_I'll be able to see you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Alice_

* * *

><p>"LILY AZAELA EVANS! YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!" Alice yelled as Mrs. Prewett and Lily Flooed right into Alice's living room. Barely two seconds had passed since Lily had arrived in a swirl of ash and flames before Alice forcefully yanked Lily out of the fireplace and into the grand parlor.<p>

"Wow," Lily breathed as she absorbed the spectacular parlor. It was certainly much more sophisticated than Lily's living room: while her living room was quaint and tidy, the Prewett's parlor had a high ceiling with arching windows. Sofas and armchairs matched with plush cushions and pillows, and the intricate designs cover the coffee table and candleholders.

"Glad you like it- Lily Evans, I presume?" a young man asked coming forward and shaking Lily's hand firmly. A shock of red hair covered his head, but his brown eyes crinkled into a warm smile that hinted at mischievousness he was certainly capable of, reminding Lily of the Marauders.

"Fabian Prewett, I presume?" Lily asked Alice's cousin.

He laughed. "So my little Cuz mentioned me, yeah? Surprised she was able to shut up long enough to ask you your name."

Alice, however, couldn't be less distracted by the décor and Fabian. "Move over, Carrot-Top; I'm not interested- what happened between you and your sister?"

Lily purposefully jerked her head towards the turned back of Mrs. Prewett, and Alice got the message immediately: _it isn't for parents' ears_.

"Anyways, Lily, nice to meet you," Fabian winked cheerfully before heading towards a room where Lily could smell a delicious shepherd's pie.

"I'll show you my room, and Smiley might be able to get us some pumpkin juice," said Alice. She and Lily took two opposite ends of Lily's trunk, but they barely made it ten feet before Alice was grumbling.

"What do you have in here? Bricks? Smiley!" Alice yelled not unkindly.

_Pop!_

Lily yelped as something suddenly appeared out of thin air. Although Lily had never seen the large, bat-like ears, brown eyes the size of tennis balls, and the tomato nose, she had heard enough from Severus to know that the strange creature who Apparated in front of Lily was a house-elf.

"So sorry, miss! Smiley would not have come had he known that his presence upset young miss!" the house-elf squeaked, his chin trembling.

"No! No, that's fine. You didn't upset me, Smiley; you just startled me, that's all," said Lily, trying to placate the elf who looked like he was close to crying.

"Smiley, would you mind taking Lily's stuff up to my room?" asked Alice, and the elf's demeanor changed abruptly.

"Smiley would be more than happy to do anything that Miss Alice and Miss Lily required!"

Smiley took the handle of Lily's trunk and her shoulder bag before disappearing with another loud _pop! _

"Here's my room," said Alice, opening a heavy, oak door.

While the bed and walls were very ornate and elegant, nobody could have mistaken Alice's room for just another room in the Prewett mansion. The faint blue walls were covered with posters from Quidditch field diagrams to a poster featuring the Weird Sisters. One had a picture of a hippogriff and read, _got wings?_

Her bed was extremely messy, and clothes littered the floor. In one corner Lily spotted Alice's broomstick and a crate that shook slightly, indicating that there were two bloodthirsty Bludgers waiting to be released.

"You've stalled long enough, Lily. What happened?"

Lily sighed and started to tell Alice about the unfortunate incident.

* * *

><p><em>Dearest Lily,<em>

_I am so sorry for not being around as much the entire summer. Mulciber had invited me to his place, and it's a big deal for a half-blood like me to get to spend time with a family like the Mulcibers. I'm sure you understand that it was an opportunity I could barely pass up._

_I know that you've been spending a lot of time with Alice Prewett, but please, Lils, your friends aren't all you make them out to be, and I hope that eventually you could see that Mulciber is actually a good friend. Some of the things her family believe aren't exactly right, and you should be careful around them._

_Remember what I said, and I'll see you at Hogwarts._

_Your friend,_

_Sev_


	11. Second Years

_Second Year_

**Second Years**

_Lily POV_

The train whistled loudly as Lily and Alice finally broke free from Mr. and Mrs. Prewett only to fight their way through the large throng of students.

"You ready for another fun-filled year?" asked Alice. "OY! Move it, you firsties! Don't you dare take our compartment."

The large first year dwarfed Alice, but for the moment, Alice's personality shrunk everybody to three inches tall. He and another first year who reminded Lily of somebody she couldn't quite put a face to grudgingly trudged from the compartment, but not before glaring at the second years.

"Alice," Lily chastised, "You shouldn't scare first years like that."

Alice scoffed. "Lily, the first one was Jugson's younger brother and the other was Regulus Something. You can't honestly expect me to be nice to them."

Lily put her hands on her hips, striking up a pose that made her seem much more mature. "They're eleven, Alice. Don't tell me that you would've wanted a second year Slytherin treating you like that last year just because you wanted to be in Gryffindor."

Alice was momentarily lost for words, but she was graciously spared a response by a distraction arriving in the shape of Mary Macdonald who had recently cut her soft brown hair into nothing short of a pixie cut and was now at least three inches taller than Lily and Alice.

"Hi, you two!" said the clumsy girl brightly. "How were your summers?"

"Good," Alice and Lily replied simultaneously.

"What about you, Mary?" Lily asked her friend kindly, and Mary's face lit up, leading Lily to believe that her summer was much more eventful than Lily's.

"Grandmamma took me to France, and we took a wizard's tour in the Louvre, and you'll never believe the things 12th century wizards were able to hide from Muggles. I swear, Muggles get all the boring parts. Did you know that Merlin's great-grandson hid there during Dante's Revolution? They have an entire underground system that only wizard's know about, and the fifth floor downwards was where the Battle of the Patronus took place. Apparently it was the largest dementor gathering in the Middle Ages. Eventually Framanoran Gaunt's dementors turned on him and Kissed him."

Alice nodded. "That sounds fascinating." Lily couldn't tell if she was sarcastic or not. "On the other hand, Lily tricked her sister with a prank worthy of the Marauders."

Mary squeaked. "Really? What did you-"

"Impossible, Evans," said a haughty, arrogant voice from outside their compartment door, and Lily felt a stab of irritation. She had barely been on the train five minutes and then…

"What do you want, Black?" asked Lily coolly as she faced him, and Lily flashed back to Regulus. The similarities were eerily alike; the only explanation was siblings, but she had barely given any thought to the idea of Black having a brother- one of them was more than enough.

"To tell you, Evans, that it is impossible to match our talent in that field," said Potter, appearing behind Black, and Lily couldn't remember a time she had ever seen the two apart.

Lily smirked. "Didn't you say the same thing last year when you didn't believe that I could perform a successful Knockback Jinx that we weren't supposed to learn for several more months? How's your head feeling, Black?"

"Terrible, now that you've reminded me of why we are actually attending Hogwarts."

Alice giggled, and Lily cursed the same amused smile she let slip.

"So, Evans," said Potter, suddenly business-like, but his ever-present playful twinkle in his eyes remained, "What do you claim to do that granted you the title of a 'Marauder-worthy prank'?"

"What was it you said last year, Potter? Something along the lines of, 'that's for me to know, and for you to "dot, dot, dot"'?"

Potter grinned. "Glad to know you remember things I say, Evans. I'm happy you feel that way."

Lily went pink.

* * *

><p>"Who do you reckon the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be?" asked Marlene, straining her neck to see over a couple of fourth years heads to the staff table. She had joined them slightly after their little meeting with the Marauders, claiming that she had spent fifteen minutes trying to find them.<p>

Lily had grown tired of trying to see over people's heads, so she took the simple route and stood up, though she was barely any taller.

Lily scanned the staff table. Professor Flitwick, his top hat quivering, was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Young had told him. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet, and Professor Sprout was currently in a deep conversation with Madam Pomfrey.

Lily was about to give up until she saw a tall man dressed in tan robes sitting at the table in an engaging debate with Professor Slughorn. He was very inconspicuous, acting like it was perfectly normal from him to be sitting there, chatting like he had been a teacher for ten years, and if Lily had to guess, she would have guessed around forty or fifty.

And he wasn't the only one. Somebody else sat next to him, but her expression was blank, like there was something she was seeing without it actually being there. Dressed in black robes, she looked like a phony fortune-teller from the street, and she couldn't have been older than thirty.

"There, talking to Professor Slughorn, and then there is another woman next to him," Lily said, pointing to the two new people.

"Where?" asked Alice, but at that moment, the first years entered the Great Hall, terrified. Lily felt a wave of sympathy, remembering all too well the nervousness from her own Sorting.

"Did they get smaller?" asked Mary. One first year heard her and jumped, but otherwise it was if she had never spoken.

Lily had not paid much attention to the Sorting Hat's song in her first year, seeing as she was too caught up in her own worries, so Lily made a mental not to pay extra attention to this one.

_Frayed and old am I_

_But never be slow or lie_

_I search your little minds_

_And read between the lines_

_Not a thing you can hide from me_

_So just slip me on and let it be_

_I Sort each and all_

_But never the same, short or tall_

_Gryffindor shall be the bravest_

_But Hufflepuff is always true and honest_

_Those Ravenclaws are smart and clever_

_And Slytherin is cunning forever_

_But wait!_

_Through the Houses four_

_Should be other's union plus yours_

_While we are diverse_

_Still unite against every curse_

_But don't mind me!_

_Just remember my guidance_

_You never know what waits and lurks without a presence_

The Great Hall burst into applause, and Professor McGonagall unrolled the long list of first years.

"Able, Benedict."

Lily watched the Sorting continue, but she had a hard time listening with whispering Marauders behind her. The only time they were completely silent was when Regulus Black was called up to the Sorting Hat. It took about twenty seconds for the hat to declare, "SLYTHERIN!"

Lily glanced behind her to see Black glaring at his younger brother, and just for a moment, he looked like a completely different person. Surprised, Lily turned back to the Sorting.

"Oh, just hurry up already," Alice groaned. "I'm starving."

Lily, however, was pondering the hat's last lines. She wasn't an expert on the Sorting Hat's songs, but she had a hard time believing that the hat would warn other students when the only job was to Sort them.

Finally the last of the first years stood ("Zeller, Ned"), and Dumbledore stood up, beaming and spreading his arms out wide.

"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts! We have a few staff changes that you should be aware of. First, Professor Banks resigned during the summer to join the Society of Purgiswal, a little-known defensive society in Brazil. Filling her place is Professor Stoughton, a very accomplished Auror who has agreed to spend a year teaching and filling young minds with knowledge which will hopefully be very useful."

Dumbledore waved for Stoughton to stand up to the scattered applause, which he did. When he inclined his head slightly, it was as if there was a broomstick strapped to his back.

"Unfortunately, Professor Kaston has decided to retire after nearly sixty years of service, and Professor Gammon has kindly accepted to take the post of Divination, although you young first and second years don't have to worry about that yet."

Professor Gammon bowed rather nervously, a stark contrast to Stoughton. She anxiously twisted her hands in front of her, eyes twitching from one side of the hall to the next.

The applause was less for Professor Gammon, but not enough to be considered disrespectful.

Dumbledore smiled brightly as he turned back to the Hall at large. "A few more reminders: students are not allowed within forty feet of the Whomping Willow, and Mr. Filch has added twenty items to the list of banned items, bringing the total up to three hundred and fifty-seven, I believe. But that's enough chitchat for the present. Tuck in!"

* * *

><p>"Stoughton looks like he'll be the same as Banks," said Alice unhappily. "Same appearance, same demeanor, same expression... I think somebody cursed the DADA position to provide the worst teachers possible."<p>

Marlene laughed. "You do know that every person thinks it is cursed to prevent more than one year on the job."

"That's better than what our teachers are leading me to belive," said Alice.

Lily's peripheral vision caught sight of a familiar head of lanky hair and a pale face. Severus was hiding behind a statue, peeking at the girls.

"Are you okay, Lily?" Mary asked as the girl halted several feet behind them.

"Sure," said Lily, "Um, I'll meet you up in the common room. Give me a sec."

Lily's friends were confused, but they nonetheless did what they were told and left Lily to talk to Severus.

The moment they were out of sight, Severus stepped out from the statue and hugged Lily.

"Whoa, there, Sev. It was only the summer," laughed Lily as she hugged him back. "How was it at the Mulcibers?" Lily had to force her face to stay straight when she said Mulciber's name.

Severus' face lit up. "Lily, I wish you could have been there! Mr. Mulciber has some objects that are fascinating, and Mrs. Mulciber makes the most amazing pies."

Lily frowned. When she had met Mrs. Mulciber, she didn't seem like the type to spend her time in the kitchen. "You mean their house-elf?"

"Yes, that. But Mr. Mulciber's been teaching Lycoris and I some really useful spells that you and I could try out on the Marauders and-"

"Wait, Sev," interrupted Lily, "What kinds of spells?" Why did she get the feeling that they were more than a Jelly-Legs Jinx?

"There's this one that prevents people from thinking properly and another one that can break bones," said Severus, and Lily didn't know which was worse: the things that Severus could potentially do or the way he talked about it.

"Severus!" cried Lily.

"What?" he asked, and a small part of Lily's mind was disgusted with how he was handling the curses.

"I get that the Marauders are mean, but they haven't caused anybody physical pain. How could you think of doing something like that to _anyone_?"\

"Are you serious, Lily? They humiliate me! The least I can do is level the playing field. And besides, Madam Pomfrey can mend bones in a second, so what is there to worry about?"

"_What is there to worry about_?" Severus was so surprised by her tone that he took a step back; Lily had never lost her temper around Severus. "You can't talk about doing that stuff! It's cruel! Knowingly breaking people's bones with a spell is not something that you should laugh about."

Severus blinked. "Mulciber-"

"Yes, I'm sure _Mulciber_ is the go-to person for how to treat people with fairness. Sev, I don't think you should talk to him. He's a bad influence."

"Bad influence?" spat Severus. "What about Prewett? Or McKinnon? Or Macdonald for that matter? Why do you get to hang out with your friends, but I can't hang out with mine?"

"Because Alice isn't trying to get me to do bad magic, Sev. Why can't you see what Mulciber is doing to you, Sev? You're a different person. You've been changing ever since you've been hanging out with the rest of the Slytherins."

"But- but Lily! It isn't bad magic."

"Yes, it is, and you know it. Alice is waiting for me; I have to go."


	12. The Suspected and the Speculative

**The Suspected and the Speculative **

_Lily POV_

"Good morning, class," said Professor Stoughton, striding into the room. "Sit down."

Most of the students complied, but two Slytherins, Rosier and Mulciber, just smirked and continued to talk.

Stoughton glared at them. "I said sit," and he flicked his wand at their two chairs which obediently zoomed forward, knocking Rosier and Mulciber off their feet so they collapsed in a crumpled heap on their respective chairs.

Both Potter and Black were now staring at Stoughton with newfound respect.

"Right, there is no time for dilly-dallying, so I'll get straight to the point. What are you here to learn?"

Marlene's hand went up, as well as Remus's. Stoughton nodded at Marlene to answer.

"So we can learn the proper spells and counter-jinxes necessary to defend ourselves," she said, and Stoughton's lips pressed together grimly.

"Sounds like a standard answer, and also wrong," he said, and Marlene went pink. "What about you?"

Remus answered, "So we can avoid getting hurt." Lily could hear the uncertainty in his voice, and Stoughton scowled.

"Wrong. If you're fighting against Dark wizards and creatures, the chance that you'll be hurt is inevitable, whether it be physical or mental."

Potter and Black snorted at that, and Lily's temper flared; they really were arrogant. She was about to start yelling at them, but Stoughton swooped down upon them before she could even try.

"You think I'm joking, do you?" he said, eyes flashing. "What if I were to place you under the Imperious Curse, Mr. Black, and made you torture Mr. Potter with the Cruciatus Curse? Or Mr. Lupin? And after you've tortured Mr. Potter past the point of insanity, I made you set Fiendfyre to an entire village, watching innocent little five-year-olds scream and try to run before they were consumed by the pain and burned to a crisp. And you would have to live with that for the rest of your life, Mr. Black. Tell me that I'm wrong."

By the time Stoughton had finished speaking, Black and Potter's faces were white with fear. Lily herself was shivering at the scene.

He didn't smile or anything; he just spun on his heel and strutted back up to the front of the classroom.

"Up! Out of your seats!" he said.

Nobody moved; they just looked confused.

"That means today, people! People are dozing, and there is a reason I am telling you this. You'll thank me later." Stoughton yelled, and everybody quickly clambered out of their seats. Stoughton took out his wand at flicked it, causing all the tables and chairs to vanish while a Slytherin who was too lazy to get out of his seat fell to the floor with a crash.

"Listen up! My job here is simple. Prepare you for the outside world as much as possible. Today we will not be learning magic. When you're cornered against Dark wizards ten to one, what do you do?"

"Fight and knock 'em on their asses," said Potter arrogantly, and Lily rolled her eyes- it was such a Potter answer.

"You're outnumbered, Mr. Potter. While you may be able to beat other students while their backs are turned, these Dark wizards are not above using cowardly means. Anyone?"

Stoughton looked at each and every one of them. When nobody answered, he said, "You run."

"What kind of advice is that?" Black cried out. "That's what a coward would do!"

"Silence! I will not be spoken to like that. While your version of courage is bordering on arrogance and stupidity, sometimes it takes courage to walk and fight another day. Do tell, Mr. Black, how would you be of any help if you just got yourself killed for no reason?"

Black said nothing, and Stoughton smiled. "I thought so, Mr. Black. If there is nothing else, nobody to save, then you would help more people by being around if something like that happened again. For the next couple weeks, we will be practicing basic defensive spells and counter-charms. Pair up and start."

* * *

><p>"I like him. He's not like Banks," said Alice, glancing back to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom where Stoughton was cleaning up after their lesson.<p>

"I think their similar with what they're trying to teach, but Stoughton has a different way of teaching," said Lily.

Alice snorted. "Please, Lily. Banks just wanted to make our lives a living hell, but Stoughton wants to actually prepare us."

"You're being bias, Alice," Lily chastised gently. "Their lessons aren't that much more different."

Alice just rolled her eyes and didn't answer.

"What's that?" Mary asked suddenly, pointing to a small crowd forming at the end of the corridor. There was a flash of light blue light, and the crowd gasped as a single entity. Lily glanced at Marlene, but the other girl was just as confused.

"Let's find out," said Alice.

The four girls fought their way through the crowd while the bangs and gasps got louder. Lily felt somebody accidently elbow her shoulder, but she paid them no attention.

"_Pertrificus Totalis!_" a male voice yelled, and the sound of bricks falling of stone floor reached Lily's ears.

"Is that all you got, Podmore? What would your dear mother say to that?" a cold, drawling voice taunted.

Lily had finally entered the center circle of bystanders and couldn't help but be shocked by what she saw. A Gryffindor, fifth or sixth year by the looks of it, had his wand out pointing at the sixth year Prefect from Slytherin- Luscious Milroy or something like that- who had his own wand out.

The two boys circled each other, and it was impossible to say which face showed more dislike. The Marauders were across from Lily, cheering on Podmore. Students of all ages gazed at the scene.

"It's more than you could ever have, you slimy piece of filth," Podmore growled. "When was the last time you needed poor little Granny to fix it for you? Always running off to your father, that prejudice git named Abraxas Malfoy. How is it with your old man? When was the last time he had to buy off the Ministry for their failing to report on the actual story of what's going on with all the _Prophet's_ lies? You and your father are miserable little cowards who run at the first sign of trouble with your tail between your legs."

A bright flash of white light sped towards Podmore without Malfoy having to utter a single word. Podmore slashed his wand in an arc, producing a strong shield just as silently. Malfoy's hex rebounded and struck Malfoy in the chest. He flew into the wall and slid to the ground.

"Sturgis!" Alexandra Hopkirk ran towards the boy and placed a restraining hand of Podmore's wand arm. "Enough. We have an audience."

Podmore stared at Alexandra before glaring at Malfoy who was still struggling to get to his feet. "This isn't over. Watch your back."

Malfoy sneered. "I'm shaking all over, Podmore. You want a coward? Look in the mirror."

Podmore, who had his back turned and was walking away, whipped around, but Alexandra was already in action. She flicked her wand, and Malfoy flew up into the air and hit the ceiling before crashing back onto the floor.

"Last time I checked, _Lucius_," Alexandra added a surprising amount of scorn into the word _Lucius_, "You should be heading up to Madam Pomfrey to get that nasty cut checked out before I'll show you just how far I've come since first year, you racist bigot."

* * *

><p>"Did you see Malfoy?"<p>

"What a moron!"

"Hopkirk certainly showed him up."

"I know that Sturgis has always had the biggest crush on her."

"So romantic…"

"Screw romance. Where's that powdered dragon claw that Henry said he would get me?"

The rumors had already started by the time Lily and her friends had reached the common room. They were all talking about the fight like it was perfectly normal, but Lily found it scary: the skill that Podmore, Malfoy, and Alexandra had demonstrated was well beyond that of Lily's. She had always accustomed non-verbal magic with Dumbledore and McGonagall, but now it seemed that everybody used it, and Lily knew that the chances of being caught off guard by a silent spell were much more likely than the duels she and the Marauders always had.

"Did you see that?" Alice asked for the millionth time that hour. "Just,"-Alice made a pounding motion with her fist-"_BAM!_"

"Yeah, I saw that," said Marlene. "And I've haven't heard about anything else since."

"Except Stoughton," said Alice. "The way he talks, it's like everybody is a Knight of Walpurgis or whoever is responsible."

Lily stopped directly in front of the Fat Lady. "What?"

Alice shrugged nonchalantly. "Mum was telling Daddy about some people who favor pure-bloods and were causing some trouble for the Ministry. It's nothing. Let's go- Lily?"

But Lily was hardly listening, thoughts spinning around her head. It couldn't just be a coincidence that the Ministry was having trouble with pure-blood lovers while successful Muggle-borns were disappearing.

"Lily?" Mary asked uncertainly.

"Don't think too much, Evans. Don't want you to get hurt," smirked Black, stepping into view. When Lily didn't respond, he turned to Alice and asked, "What's up with her?"

"Don't you see, Alice? It _has _to be connected! Tell me how this can't be a coincidence," said Lily, thoughtfully running a hand through her hair. All seven of the Gryffindors present stared at her like she was crazy.

"Lily, I've said this before, and I will say it again: stop over thinking this!"

"What's a coincidence?" asked Remus.

"The Knights of Walpurgis and the disappearances, Remus!" said Lily excitedly, her attention now on him. "If it's not true, then explain to me why the Knights of Walpurgis are giving the Ministry trouble, and at the same time, Victoria Gobsworth, Bernard Thatcher, and Magnolia Rears, all Muggle-born, all successful enough to be known throughout the Wizarding community, have gone missing along with, what's-his-face, Gregory McMillan?"

"Is she always like this?" Potter asked Alice, and Marlene stepped forward with the same gait as Professor McGonagall.

"Look at me, Lily," Marlene put both her hands on Lily's shoulders, "Let. It. Go. If the Aurors couldn't find anything, then I doubt a twelve-year-old girl could."

Lily's eyes glinted, and Alice groaned since she knew exactly what it meant: Lily wasn't going to stop looking. "They couldn't _prove_ anything, Marlene. That doesn't mean they didn't find anything. I prove it."

"How?" Pettigrew asked. He alone seemed almost frightened by Lily's obsessing with answers; the others just looked concerned and unconvinced.

"Watch me."

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, and Lily was no closer to finding the answer than she was to conjuring a wandless Patronus.<p>

While the _Prophet_ still reported on the Knights of Walpurgis, it was mainly commonplace arguments between the group and the Minister behind closed doors.

Lily tracked the Knights' movement through the _Prophet _and a weekly pamphlet called _Knights of Walpurgis_, but they were not doing anything against the law. All the trouble was just the small protests they had had. And the group was barely large enough to fill one classroom- only ten or so.

Meanwhile, the _Prophet _had not reported on any strange events or seemingly random disappearances. The only thing that was a little out of the ordinary was a Muggle-born member of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Thomas Memoir, resigning for a job in the States.

"Just relax, Lily," said Alice as they were finishing an essay on the five most basic forms of self-defense for Stoughton. "I'm sure that this'll die down eventually."

Lily groaned. "But if the people are getting away with this, then what's to prevent them for continuing to kill people?"

"I'm not sure that they would kill them," said Alice, but it sounded like she was trying to convince herself that nobody would actually kill other people.

"You're right. _Murder _them."

"Look. If you manage to get plausible proof of your theory, then I'll listen, but nobody else thinks that there is some kind of twisted, sick connection between the two."

"You're being naïve, Alice, and you know it."


	13. Dueling Clubs and Confrontations

**Dueling Clubs and Confrontations**

_Lily POV_

"Lily, we'll be late." Alice tugged Lily towards the Great Hall. Alice had grown her blond curls past her shoulders now, but her blue eyes sparkled like never before.

"Remind me, why are we going so early?" Lily asked. The Dueling Club notice had been posted for a week, allowing all interested students to attend.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Because we want good seats. Duh."

"Oh, right, silly me." Lily said. They were going to duel themselves, right? Lily hoped it wasn't just watching Flitwick kick the butt whoever was unfortunate enough to be his partner.

Alice barely stopped to apologize to a tiny first year she knocked back in her rush to get to the Great Hall.

At first, Lily didn't know what room she was in. The five tables had disappeared and was replaced an open area and one long, low platform at the end of the Great Hall. Students of all ages milled around, waiting for Flitwick to get there. Lily recognized familiar faces in the crowd. Severus was standing with his friends off in a corner. The Marauders were in the very front row. A girl she identified as Riley Wallows, the new Captain and Chaser for Gryffindor, waited patiently with her sixth year friends including Gryffindor's Seeker, Alexandra Hopkirk. Riley Wallows was much taller and more intimidating up close Lily noticed as she and Alice drew nearer to the platform. Alice was staring at Riley Wallows open-mouthed. Riley seemed to notice that she was being watched and turned quickly, her long, lustrous brown hair swishing, to the second years.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I thought Mark Woods was the Captain." Alice blurted out, pointing at the shiny Captain's badge on Riley's robes. Alice blushed a deep red the moment she closed her mouth.

Riley laughed as if she found tiny Alice amusing. "He's Head Boy this year, and he didn't want to juggle both responsibilities for the entire year. He said I've worked hard enough to earn it."

Lily tugged at Alice, but not before a voice rang out. "Hola, Wallows." A tall boy slid into the girl's group and moved to put his arm around Riley, but Riley maneuvered around it.

"And who are you?"

"Name's Jesse McClaggen, Gryffindor Chaser."

Riley narrowed her eyes at McClaggen. Lily already didn't like the fifth year. He sounded more arrogant than James Potter, which was saying something. "I was under the impression that it was me, Gale, and Zach who were the Gryffindor Chasers last year."

McClaggen shrugged. "Well, if you could go on a little date with me, I could show you just how much you were missing last year." He whispered seductively.

Riley stared at him. "What?"

He winked at her. "Take that as a yes. Be honored I'm asking you since I know a lot of girls who would die for this opportunity. I'll see you on the Quidditch pitch-"

"No."

"Oh, c'mon, sweetheart, you don't-"

"Do I need to repeat myself? I'm not going on a date with you."

Lily and Alice watched the two with great amusement. Lily thought the poor boy needed to tone it down a notch. He was never going to get any women except those stupid girls who dressed in baby pink midriffs and killer heels unless he stopped his arrogant attitude.

Lily leaned close to Alice and whispered, "I think when he says lots of girls he means himself." Beside her, Alice let out a giggle.

McClaggen seemed to notice the second years for the first time. "See something funny, little girl." He pulled out his wand.

Riley pulled his arm away from Alice who glowered at him for calling her a little girl. "They're second years, McClaggen. Don't even think of-"

McClaggen paid her no attention. "_Furnunculus_!" Lily gasped as Alice erupted in painful boils.

"McClaggen!" Riley yelled. She waved her wand, and Alice's boils disappeared. Behind her, Alexandra, Emmie, and another girl Lily didn't know hurried forward.

McClaggen winked at Riley. "Knew you see my talent, Wallows. Perhaps we can get on a first name basis without pesky second years getting in the way."

Lily felt rage rear in her like a lion. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and she yelled her favorite spell.

"_FLIPENDO!_" Lily shouted. There was a bright flash of light and a deafening blast. McClaggen soared through the air and collided with the double doors on the other side of the Great Hall. McClaggen did not get up.

"Dear, dear," Flitwick tottered up to a raised platform. "Miss Wick, would you please take Mr. McClaggen up to the Hospital Wing. I'm afraid he will have a terrible headache."

Lily blushed as she felt everyone's eyes upon her, shocked that a second year could take on a sixth year. She lowered her wand, and nobody looked away. "What?" Lily challenged. "There's nothing here for you." Slowly, the babble broke out again, but not before Flitwick got everyone's attention.

"Welcome to the Dueling Club. To begin this year, we will pair up people from the same House. The older students will teach the younger students for a week or two, first years with seventh years, second years with sixth years, and third through fifth years will be moving onto dueling each other immediately. After that we will have all people duel separately or in pairs based on your age and experience. Here is the list based on your year and House." Flitwick waved his wand.

A scrap of parchment appeared in front of Lily, and she grabbed it. She saw that all of the Gryffindor second years were paired up with Gryffindor sixth years. Lily ran her finger down the list: Black with Jefferson, Evans with Wallows, Lupin with Focks, Macdonald with Hopkirk, McKinnon with Vance, Pettigrew with Revils, Potter with Grands, and Prewett with Nevermore.

Lily looked up at Riley shyly. "It says I'm with you." Lily showed Riley the scrap of parchment.

She nodded. "You're Lily Evans? Well, I think you got pretty good offensive spells," Riley grinned at the memory of McClaggen, "Thanks, by the way. Arrogant prick that guy is. You seem to know which opponent to strike. Have you ever tried defensive spells?"

Lily shook her head, slightly intimidated by the legendary Chaser.

Riley smiled kindly at Lily, which helped her nerves a bit. "There is something called a Shield Charm, but it might be too difficult for you."

Lily looked Riley right in the eye and said, "I've got the Knockback Jinx down fairly well, let's try"

Riley threw her head back and laughed. "Sure thing, sweetie. Right, the pronunciation is _protego_. The wand movement is fairly simple, just a simple wave. You want to imagine a clear, solid wall in front of you. Visualize how you block the spell."

Lily closed her eyes, imagining a wall like the Great Wall of China surrounding her, blocking every spell Riley will throw at her.

"Ready?"

Lily nodded.

Riley sent a small stream of green light towards Lily.

"_Protego!_" Lily yelled. A very weak shield erupted between Lily and Riley. The green light shook the shield violently, causing Lily to stumble. She knew that if the useless lights had been a real spell, no matter how minor, they would have shattered her shield and hit her.

Lily frowned at her extremely feeble Shield Charm and tried again.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you got paired up with Riley Wallows. <em>The<em> legendary Riley Wallows, Chaser for Gryffindor and new Captain to boot…" Alice babbled all the way up to the Gryffindor common room, still in shock of seeing Riley Wallows up close.

"You know, Alice, if you keep talking about Riley Wallows like that, people will think you're in love." Marlene said. She was clearly getting annoyed at the conversation.

"Did she mention when she's holding tryouts?" Alice asked Lily.

"Why?"

Alice went pink. "Well, I… just…" Lily couldn't hear the rest of Alice's mumbling.

"Sorry?"

"I was going to go out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team." Alice said loudly. Alice bushed and wouldn't meet anybody's eyes.

Mary looked confused. "But Alexandra Hopkirk is the Seeker for Gryffindor. She's probably going to get it again this year."

Lily rolled her eyes and whispered, "It's called tact, Mary."

Alice looked down in embarrassment, and Marlene took over. "Look, Alice, maybe Alexandra will be trying out. She is a very talented Seeker, and she's only lost five matches since her third year,"

"Gee, thanks. That makes me feel so much better, Marlene." Alice muttered sarcastically.

"But my point is," Marlene said, "You can still try out, and show Gryffindor that you're better than any of the other idiots who show up. Who knows, you might be the reserve. Being a reserve for a second year is very good, considering most of the people who will be trying out will be fifth year and above."

_Gotta hand it to her_, Lily thought. Of all of the Gryffindor girls, Marlene was the only one who could cover for someone on a regular basis if they slipped.

Alice brightened a little.

"Hello, ladies." Black climbed through the portrait hole with Potter and Remus. Pettigrew scurried after them. Lily shook her head at Pettigrew's obvious worshipping at the already inflated egos of the ringleaders of the Marauders. Black and Potter did not need more people treating them like that.

"What do you want, Black?" Marlene stated coolly. Marlene was almost as annoyed with Black as Lily was with Potter. For a sweet and quiet girl like Marlene, Lily considered it an accomplishment for Black to make an enemy of her. Marlene had hardly any enemies save Avery and Mulciber both of whom deserved less than every spell Marlene had ever cast on them.

"What dear Sirius means to say is whether or not you would like to put our dueling expertise to the test, McKinnon?" Potter filled in for his best friend.

"I didn't think you had a death wish, Potter," Lily snapped.

"I don't, which is why I chose to duel with you lovely ladies," Potter countered without missing a beat.

"If you were wanting to play fair, then why don't you use one of your little prank ideas when we're not expecting it, since that's the only way you could beat any of us."

"It's called chivalry."

"And it's called stupidity when you fight me fairly."

Every second year was watching Potter and Lily like a tennis match. Lily didn't know what about Potter infuriated her so much, but he managed to get under her skin more than anybody else with the guts to set off her temper.

"Um," Marlene swiftly stepped between the two of them, holding her hands close to Potter's chest to prevent him from moving forward, "How about later? There is a lot of homework we have to do, and every time you or Lily fight, someone ends up in the Hospital Wing with pink pus squirting from their nose or very large front teeth."

Familiar with Lily's anger, Alice tapped Mary's shoulder and together, they grabbed Lily and dragged her upstairs with Marlene close behind.

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"One of these days, James, Lily-Bean's going to hex you into next week." Sirius said.

James ignored Sirius and yawned. "What time is it?"

"Six o'clock." Peter said promptly.

James noticed Remus pale. "You okay, mate?"

Remus nodded. "Yeah, I'm just not feeling well at the moment. I think I'll go to the Hospital Wing." He left speedily without another word to any of his friends.

"Dude! What is with him? He either has the weakest immune system in the history of the Wizarding World, or he's cursed with bad health every month." Sirius said at the dormitory door which Remus had just slammed shut.

James sat up straight, alert for the first time since the Dueling Club. Every month…. why didn't he see it before?

"James, mate, you're not about to follow Remus's lead, are you? Because I like my room without the smell of vomit."

"Sirius," James said seriously, "You don't have your Astrology moon chart, do you?"

Sirius looked confused, but still pulled it out and tossed it onto James's bed.

James unfurled it hastily, ignoring Sirius's complaint of "Hey, I might not use it, but I prefer it if you don't rip it." James scanned the past year's moon phases. Tonight there was a full moon. He ran his finger over all the days of the full moon-the days Remus was sick.

"Of course…" James murmured.

"Sorry?"

"All the days are the days of a full moon." James said. Sirius and Peter stared at him blankly like he was going crazy. "All the days Remus is sick is the day of a full moon."

Realization dawned on Sirius's face. "Oh, so you think Remus is a-"

"That's the only thing that fits. Look at the facts: the day of a full moon, he's sick as could be, he comes back with half-healed cuts, and he is always going to Madam Pomfrey."

Peter still looked confused. "I don't get it."

Sirius rounded on his plump friend. "He's a werewolf, Pete." The impatience was poorly concealed.

Peter's eyes went round with fear. "Remus!" he squeaked, "Werewolf! They're really dark. Dumbledore should know he's harboring a likely spy for the Dark Rebellion. He's not safe, he's-"

"PETE, SHUT UP!" James roared, unable to take the prejudice anymore. He leapt off his bed. "Has Remus ever hurt anyone? No! It's not his fault he got bitten. He's still the same Remus we know. If he really was a Dark creature, then we probably would have died the first week we were here." James hadn't meant to get into a speech about werewolves, but Peter was just being a normal, narrow-minded wizard, and James had had enough.

Peter squeaked.

James looked over to Sirius who hadn't said anything. "Are you going to turn against your friend also?" he demanded.

Sirius's previously blank face was replaced with a defiant scowl. "My parents hate werewolves, which means that they aren't all bad. Remus is my friend, and I don't care what he turns into once a month."

James nodded. Peter suddenly found a spot on the floor very interesting.

"Pete?"

"You're right, it doesn't change who he is."

"What do we do? Confront him or-" Sirius asked before James cut him off.

"We talk to him when he gets back. I don't want to hear anymore bad excuses for the rest of my school career."

James fell back on his bed, thinking about Remus and Peter's reaction to his lycanthropy. It really was an unjust world they lived in.

* * *

><p>Remus hadn't showed up in any of his classes all day, but James knew he was probably resting in the Hospital Wing with Madam Pomfrey breathing down his neck to take ten different potions every hour. The surprise James had felt when he first found out was soon replaced with something just short of pity. He wondered how long ago Remus had been bitten. It must have been terrible to mar his childhood with painful transformations every month. James would never voice his feelings out loud because he knew Remus would not want pity.<p>

James bounced a Bawling Bouncy Ball against his wall in the dormitory until Sirius grew tired of the shrieking toy and slapped Spellotape over its mouth. Peter chewed his nails while they waited for Remus to get back from the Hospital Wing.

"What are we going to tell him?" Peter asked nervously. Their friend had taken the day to get used to the "new" Remus as he called him, but James was still anxious about how Peter would fare for the time he would be meeting Remus while knowing his secret. Privately, James was exceedingly irritated at Peter for thinking this changed who Remus was.

"We tell him we know." Sirius said. "There's no use finding a fancy way to say 'Hi, Remus. We know you're a werewolf, but we don't care'." At these words, Sirius glared at Peter who just shrugged.

"'M okay with it."

The three fell silent at the sound of staggering footsteps outside the door. Peter squeaked as thee doorknob turned, but James silenced him with a glare. Remus tip-toed to his bed. He apparently was under the impression that James, Sirius, and Peter were asleep.

"Yo, Remus, mate." Sirius said.

James shook his head. Sirius was going to blurt it out without an ounce of tact.

Remus jumped. "Sorry, Sirius, but I thought you were asleep."

"We know you're a werewolf."

James put his head in his hands. Did Sirius have any diplomacy? It was a touchy subject for their friend.

Remus froze. His dark shape became more motionless than a statue. Only his jaw worked but no sound came out.

James flicked on his lamp and saw Remus's eyes were terrified. The light reflected in them like tiny moons. "But we don't care, Remus. You're still our friend."

Remus's eyes flickered to James. Terror that his friends would desert him was clear. "Y-you don't care th-that I'm a monster."

"First off, you're not a monster. You haven't hurt anybody. Second, it's only a couple of hours a month that you're not who you are."

Remus was surprised. "You're not scared. Most people who find out run away screaming."

"No." When Remus wasn't looking, James sent a pointed look to Peter.

A look of relief crossed Remus's face. James wondered if anybody had ever not cared about his lycanthropy. Probably not, considering most people hated werewolves.

Sirius sat on the edge on his bed. "Do you know who bit you?"

For the first time since James had met him, Remus's face contorted into a dark glower. James shivered. The only person with a scarier glare was Lily Evans, but Remus was close to hers.

"Fenrir Greyback."

"The werewolf who supports the Dark Rebellion?" Peter asked.

Remus nodded. "Can you save your questions for later? I'm really tired, day after full moon and all."

James flicked his wand and the lights went out.


	14. Quidditch Tryouts of a Future Animagus

**Quidditch Tryouts of a Future Animagus**

"Good luck, Jamie!" Sirius yelled across the Great Hall.

"Don't call me that. Only certain people can call me that name." James shouted back.

He shouldered his Cleansweep 5 and left for the Quidditch pitch while he heard an, "Sure thing, Jamie!" Sirius could be very Siriusly Sirius sometimes. He chuckled at the overused pun.

"What are you laughing at, Potter?"

James jumped and saw Prewett following him, also carrying her broom. Her blond curls were tied back in a ponytail with one stray curl falling out from behind her ear. She looked cute in a sweet, tiny girl way.

"Nothing. Are you going out for the Quidditch team?" He asked.

"Nope, I was just going to sweep the floor with an amazing racing broom." Prewett's attempt at sarcasm failed. It was impossible with a face like Prewett's to pull off anything like that. With her bright blue eyes and ever-cheerful, round face, the effect was quite the opposite.

"Really think you can beat Alexandra Hopkirk?"

"Really think you can get off the ground when your head is full of sawdust?" Evans appeared behind her best friend. Unlike Prewett, Evans had the sarcasm and cynicism down to the twitch of her mouth. James shuddered. He had hoped to not set off her temper this early in the morning, but his luck was pretty bad today.

"Are you talking to me or the mirror?"

Evans's lip curled slightly. "Not even a mirror is that stupid, Potter."

James drew himself up to his full height, which didn't help much since he and Evans were almost the same height. "I think you'll change your mind when you see how well I play."

With that, he turned and headed towards the Quidditch pitch, but not before he heard Evans mutter, "The day he joins the team will be a very sad day indeed."

* * *

><p><em>Alice POV<em>

"Okay, people, you're going to split into groups and fly around the pitch once just to separate the flyers from the non-flyers." Riley called out to all of the people wandering around.

Alice could barely keep her hands from shaking when she saw Riley calmly explaining to a first year with no broomstick the rule of no first years. The first year walked away dejected.

Alice noticed that Potter was casually chatting it up with Alexandra Hopkirk who just giggled at the bigheaded second year. Alice shook her head. The only person who had ever been able to banter effortlessly with Potter was Lily. She almost had to smile at those two. They would end up married one day, Alice was positive about that.

Alice was divided into her group comprising of Potter, two third years, and four fifth years including Zach Ryans. The third year boy crashed halfway around the pitch, and his friend didn't fare much better.

For all five groups the only people who could fly better than Alice were Mark Woods, the new Head Boy, the four veterans from last year, Zach Ryans, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Harper Johnson, and Alexandra Hopkirk, along with a fifth year named Sophie Dankers and James Potter. Alice was surprised at Potter's flying ability. She hadn't seen him fly much during the flying lessons first year because Madam Hooch had asked Alice and Lily to escort an unfortunate Geoffrey Fudge to the Hospital Wing, so she was expecting Potter to be all talk. He was arguable one of the strongest flyers, tied with Riley Wallows and Mark Wood, and he was only a second year.

Riley had eliminated most of the people and split them into groups based on the desired positions. The Chasers consisted of Potter, Ryans, Sophie Dankers, and a short and burly fifth year. Kingsley and Johnson were already the Beaters due to the fact the other people who had tried out usually missed the Bludgers over eighty percent of the time.

Alice twirled her broomstick in the air. The only Seekers who had made it to this stage in the tryouts were herself, Alexandra, and a seventh year she recognized as last year's reserve.

Alice took a deep breath as Riley called the forward the Seekers.

_I can do this._

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

Alice rocked back and forth on the edge of the couch, muttering under her breath, "Jack…three catches so… Alexandra…advantage of…but she did… good tryout…" She kept glancing up to the staircase as if waiting for Riley to come down and post the tryout results on the notice board in exactly a second.

"Relax, Ali," Lily put her hand on her best friend's shoulder, trying to calm her down to the point of using her nickname, "You're a great flier and Quidditch player no matter what Riley Wallows decides."

Alice's lips twitched. "Yeah, but I want to play on the team, Lils."

The stairs creaked, and Alice shot of the couch as if electrocuted. Riley padded down the stairs dressed in her bathrobe like she had spent the entire night deciding on the new team. She smiled kindly at them. "Great tryout, Alice, really excellent for a second year. Alexandra got the Seeker spot, but I was wondering if you were willing to be the reserve?"

Alice's smile was guarded, but she accepted the position of reserve and the defeat gracefully.

Lily scanned the list.

_Keeper: Mark Wood_

_Beaters: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Harper Johnson_

_Seeker: Alexandra Hopkirk_

_Chasers: Riley Wallows, Zach Ryans-_

At the last name, Lily rubbed her eyes, sure that she was reading the name correctly. Surely…surely he had just been talking and bragging about something he actually had little talent of. Her new favorite sport to watch was Quidditch. If she had to see _him_ every time, it must have been a sick joke Riley Wallows had cooked up. Nobody in their right mind would make him Chaser, but there was no mistaking the last name.

James Potter_._

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"So Remus, we, meaning me, Sirius, and Pete, have been thinking." James said. He had been trying to find the best way to approach telling Remus their idea to help on full moons. The big question was how would Remus react to it. Sure, he would say it was dangerous, but it might help him. Anything was worth it to help ease the terrible monthly problems their friend had to face.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"Well," James started while biting his lip, "During the full moon werewolves are only a danger to humans." He paused after that sentence, wondering how on earth they would convince Remus to go through with this crazy idea.

"Yes?"

"But not to animals," he finished lamely.

Remus gave a nervous laugh. "Sorry? What do you plan to do about that? Conjure a little birdie for me to curl up with?"

James glanced at Sirius with a clear question: _How do we ask him_?

James regretted it the moment he asked it. Sometimes it slipped his mind of exactly how blunt Sirius could be.

"We would become the animals meaning we learn how to become animagi."

"No," Remus said, his voice firm. "First: It's illegal for underage wizards to become an animagus-"

"Right," snorted Sirius, "Because it's the first time we've ever broken the rules."

"But it's the _law_! This isn't just some silly school rule. Do you know the punishment- Azkaban! If you think I'm going to let my only friends risk that hellhole then you're sadly mistaken. Plus, it's extremely difficult! Only seven animagi have been registered this entire century."

"Are you kidding, Remus? I'm one of the best Chasers this year, and I'm top in the class in Transfiguration with Sirius right behind me." James yelled.

Remus just stared at James as if he had never seen anything like him. "I highly doubt a twelve-year-old could pull off being an unregistered animagus. I'm sorry, James, but sometimes talent will take you only so far. None of you are old enough."

"Look, we'll just research past animagus transformations. We'll look at the processes you have to go through. If it turns out to be too difficult, then we'll stop, and we will only attempt it if we are absolutely, positively sure that we can succeed." James said in the best deal-making voice he could use.

"No, I'm not risking my friends getting into Azkaban just to help with a little bit of monthly suffering."

Sirius cut in. "We weren't asking for your permission, Remus. We were just letting you know. We're doing this with or without your consent. That's what friends do."

Remus looked hopelessly at Sirius, and James knew that Remus knew there was no use trying to get Sirius to back down.

He threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine, try to explain to the Wizengamot why you're stuck as a half-puppy for the rest of your life."

Sirius grinned in the way only Sirius could grin. "You really have that much doubt in out abilities?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "You should know that this isn't transfiguring a match into a needle. Seriously."

"I'm always Sirius."


	15. A Step Towards Hatred

**A Step Towards Hatred**

_Lily POV_

"Those Marauders are up to something," snarled Severus under his breath as the two of them poured over _Alchemy, Ancient Art, and Science_ in the Hogwarts library while Madam Pince prowled the shelves with her feather duster. Lily and Severus had been finishing an essay on the properties of Baneberries that Slughorn had assigned. The one and a half foot long essay was longer than Lily had expected, requiring a lot of detail.

She glanced up just in time to see the Marauders minus Remus hunched over a large, tattered book, tucked away in a corner.

Lily narrowed her eyes, trying to remember the last time the Marauders had been in the library, willingly or forced. They had never seen the need to do homework or projects sinced they got some of the best grades in the class without trying, so she was curious as to what made them break the long-accepted rule to enter Lily's only Marauder-free zone besides the dormitory (though Lily wondered when they would finally find a way to get up there).

Black whispered something to Potter who in return shook his head and pointed at something else in the book. Pettigrew said something to Potter and Black, and both of them raised their heads to stare at him, causing poor Pettigrew to blush and say something else.

"What do you think they're doing?" asked Lily curiously.

Severus's lips pressed into a thin line. "Something against the rules."

The Marauders stood up to leave.

"And I'm going to find out what."

"Sev, wait-" Lily started, but Severus was already gone. Huffing angrily, she put the books away by herself.

* * *

><p>"You know, ma'am, I really do think you should have somebody take a look at you," said an old monk that had been following her ever since she left the library. "Red hair and a fiery temper, it's just not natural. In fact, a good friend of mine-"<p>

"Shut up!" yelled Lily at the monk, but that hardly deterred him. A young boy in old-fashioned robes protested as he was knocked off balance when the monk sped to keep up with Lily.

"You may be gifted with the Haverumblies or cursed with Erythromaninism. It's quite rare, but good thing I know a cure for that awful paint on your-"

"I have red hair! It's not a curse!"

"When combined with a temper, it-"

"Arg!" yelled Lily. She flicked her wand at the monk. "_Multicorfors!_" she yelled, and the monk yelped as he long brown robes changed to a green color- bright, neon green.

Somebody started laughing, and Lily whirled around, ready to curse whoever had the nerve to infuriate her even more.

"Nice charm work, Evans," said Potter, leaning casually against a pillar.

Lily groaned. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here? Who are you going to hex now?"

Potter looked mildly offended. "Can I walk without having a prank planned?"

"No," said Lily bluntly. "You're like that, Potter. You and Black just walk around like you own the place. So please, Potter, enlighten me. Should I run right now, or do I enough time to jinx you?"

Potter tossed an apple in the air, and Lily wondered how on earth he had gotten one since she hadn't seen them on the breakfast table earlier that morning. He must have ordered the house-elves to get him one. "I've been thinking, Evans."

"Don't exhaust yourself."

Potter just smirked, unaffected by Lily's sarcastic remark. "You hear that, you old monk? She's feisty too. Is there another disease which includes that?" he asked the monk who just stared at Lily fearfully and wisely didn't say anything since Lily's wand was still hanging loosely in her hand.

"Anyways. I've been thinking about how you act, and I've come to a conclusion: you secretly like me."

Any other boy, Lily would have just politely said that she wasn't interested. She wasn't a girl who like to play around with other boys and just hurt them in the end, but this was Potter, and she would be damned if she ever did anything of that sort.

Lily did the only logical thing- she burst out laughing. It was the most hilarious thing she had ever heard. The day she started liking James Potter was the day Hell froze over.

"That... is the most…absurd thing that has ever…come out of your mouth," giggled Lily between gasps.

Potter grinned. "Well I thought it was plausible. Wouldn't you agree, Sirius?" he called to somebody behind Lily. Lily whirled around to see both Black and Pettigrew; Remus was unexplainably absent.

She stopped laughing, and glared at Potter. Was he supposed to be a diversion? "Very funny, Potter. Three against one- aren't you the chivalrous one. Can't even beat me on your own."

Lily fought a smile as Potter's smirk melted off his face. "I can beat you, Evans," he said stubbornly. "I just thought it would be nice to let Sirius and Peter in on the action as well."

Lily snorted. "Keep saying that, Potter, but I know you just gang up on people so you don't have to face them yourself."

She definitely struck a nerve as Potter withdrew his wand, but Lily was quicker. In less than a second, her willow wand was pointing at Potter's nose, and he was going cross-eyed trying to keep it in view.

"OY! Don't you dare, Evans!" yelled Black.

"Then walk away," said Lily calmly. She wouldn't really curse Potter when he didn't even have his wand ready, but she hoped that Black would buy into the bluff.

Black huffed and stowed his wand back into his robes, and only after Lily couldn't see it did she take her wand away from Potter's nose.

"What were you going to do?" asked Potter as he rubbed his nose.

Lily just grinned. "Nothing. You know the word 'gullible' is written on the ceiling?" She left before Black could hex her for tricking them.

"I don't see anything," said Pettigrew, and Lily could see in her mind's eye Potter and Black rolling their eyes at Pettigrew's cluelessness.

* * *

><p>"Merlin, Ms. Macdonald! Do try not to singe Mr. Lupin's eyebrows," said Stoughton as he pulled out his wand and, with a flick, healed the red skin above Remus' left eye.<p>

"I'm sorry," squealed Mary. "I swear I'm not trying to, Remus!"

"It's alright," said Remus kindly. "Accidents are bound to happen."

"Try again, Ms. Macdonald. Only this time don't wave your arm like a windmill," said Stoughton, walking away to correct Wilkes' stance as he dueled Rosier.

The noise was at maximum level as the second year Gryffindors and Slytherins dueled in DADA. Everywhere Lily looked, either students didn't have anything happen, or they were accidently doused in a stream of chilly water.

Lily turned back to her partner, again wondering if Stoughton had paired them up just so they could kill each other. She and Black stood facing each other, wands ready and waiting for the other person to make the first move.

"You ready to get some payback, Evans?" said Black.

Lily smirked. "Considering that I'm facing you, Black, I'd say my chances of walking away as the victor are very high."

Black snarled and yelled, "_Expelliarmus!_"

Lily charmed a desk to spring legs and leap in front of her. Black's eyebrows raised in surprise, and Lily took advantage of his distraction.

"_Flipendo!_"

Black ducked and came up laughing. "Is that all you got, Evans. Is that the best you can do?"

Lily's temper flared. "_Colloshoo!_"

Black ducked yet again, and paused to glance at the place where Lily's jinx hit. He turned back to aim at Lily, but she had whispered the Knockback Jinx so Black couldn't hear. He went flying a good fifteen before landing in a crumpled heap.

"What was that, Black?" Lily simpered. "Speak up. I can't hear you under all that rubble."

"_Expelliarmus!_" Potter yelled, and Lily, not expecting Potter's sudden attack, felt her wand fly out of her hand, and Potter caught it with Quidditch reflexes, grinning victoriously.

"It was supposed to be one vs. one!" she yelled angrily at Potter.

Potter looked mildly surprised. "All I remember is him telling us to pair up, Evans. He never said anything about other people being unable to help their friends. Isn't that right, Professor?"

Stoughton laughed a booming laugh. "Five points to Gryffindor, Mr. Potter and Mr. Black, for using an ingenious way to beat young Ms. Evans. Dismissed."

Lily was the first one out; she stormed past everyone, ignoring Alice, Marlene, and Mary who had been trying to catch her attention

* * *

><p>"Why does Potter have to be so irritating?" yelled Lily as she paced the dormitory.<p>

"Because he just turned thirteen last week, Lils, and you know how teenage guys are. They're annoying, troublemaking, stupid idiots," said Marlene.

"I know, but everything he does, it's like he is set on making my life a living Hell!"

"That's a little harsh, don't you think, Lily?" said Alice as she opened up _The Muggle Word_ and set to solving her latest puzzle.

"It might be for other people, but Potter and Black, Alice! They just strut around like they own the place! Don't tell me it doesn't annoy you."

Alice shrugged. "I ignore them unless they purposefully target me for one of their pranks. Maybe you should do the same thing."

"I do! It's just they almost always target either Severus or me. Why can't they leave us alone?" Lily demanded, though she wasn't really expecting her friends to have an answer.


	16. Confirmation

**Confirmation**

_Lily POV_

"Which classes are you signing up for, Lily?" asked Alice as the four Gryffindor girls stretched out on their respective beds.

They were pouring over the sign-up sheet for the classes third years could take as electives: Divination, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures. Lily laid on her bed, propped up on her elbows with her quill between her teeth. Her parents had been clueless to what classes Lily should sign up for, but they encouraged her to sign up for whatever interested her the most. Mr. Evans had shown interest in Ancient Runes since it was mostly theory and books, and he was excited to learn some of a magical class.

Muggle Studies was definitely out of the picture- her entire family was Muggles, so the teacher probably needed more help than Lily, although she told both Marlene and Alice to sign up for it since they were pure-bloods. Marlene did, but Alice failed to see what was suspicious to Muggles if a wizard went around on a broomstick wearing full-length robes.

In the end, Lily had signed up for Divination, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes. Mary was taking Divination with her as well as Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy; Marlene had flat out refused to take Divination, claiming it to be a waste of time. Instead she had opted for Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures. Alice had sided with Marlene on the issue of Divination, though she was nowhere as near as strong opponent to the class; she was taking Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures

"LADIES!" Black's voice suddenly roared from the bottom of the stairs, "WE'RE LATE FOR BREAKFAST!"

Marlene rolled her eyes and said, "Does he ever learn?"

"Nope," the three of them replied, and Marlene stomped down the stairs with her wand out.

* * *

><p>Needless to say, breakfast was an interesting ordeal as Black was forced to walk down in a pale pink dress with frilly edges, courtesy of Marlene and her wand. Even Potter, who Black had counted on to be on his side, was roaring with laughter at Black's predicament.<p>

"So which classes are you signing up for, Lily?" Remus asked as they followed the six other Gryffindors; Lily tried to put as much distance between her, Potter, and Black as possible.

"Divination, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes," she responded lightly. "What about you?"

"The same except Care of Magical Creatures instead of Divination. I've seen enough crystal balls to last me a lifetime." Remus chuckled darkly at a private joke.

"Have you heard anything in the _Prophet_?" Lily asked as they walked through the doors and into the chattering Great Hall. Several people stood up to get a better view of Black who was now beet red.

"You're not giving up on that, are you?"

"Remus! They're connected. I don't know how, but it can't just be a coincidence."

Remus closed his eyes and sighed. "Lily, the last time anybody heard anything from the Knights of Walpurgis was last year, and there have been no disappearances."

"Only resignations," said Lily, and Remus picked up on her tone.

"They have people visiting them, and they're alive and well."

"Yes, but are they the same people?"

"Are you going to start accusing Ministry workers of kidnapping and murder? Lily, you are thirteen! They will not have a problem getting you to keep quiet."

Lily's eyes glinted mysteriously. "I'm not going to accuse anyone. I'm just going to prove it."

"Lily-"

"Mail's here," she said looking up at the flock of owls flying over the five tables. "Where's my _Prophet_?"

As if on cue, Marigold swooped down and dropped the paper in front of Lily who caught it and ripped it open. The main article was about some bigshot in the Ministry getting an even higher up position in the Minister's own circle of advisors, but the only thing that interested Lily was a little snidbit tucked away between an ad for Madam Malkin's Robes and Flourish and Blotts.

_**Knights of Walpurgis vanish without a trace:**_

_For almost two years, a small group calling themselves the Knights of Walpurgis caused disturbances at the Ministry with their pure-blood protests. While there were very few members, all of them belonged to one of the old pure-blood families: Salvatore Mulciber whose son is currently a second year in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Casper Avery, also father of a second year Hogwarts student, Antonin Dolohov, Benedict Lestrange who has one son out of Hogwarts- Rodolphus Lestrange, another member of the Knights- where the younger one still attends, and Henrique Rosier, yet another one with children in Horwarts._

_One would think that the Knights would be persistent, but the last time anybody has heard from them was last October. Since then, there has not been so much as a whisper of the Knights. The _Prophet_ couln't speak to the leader because the Knights never told anybody who was leading the protests._

_Are the Knights of Walpurgis calling it quits? Or are they just regrouping for a stronger and more dangerous attack on the peaceful Wizarding world?_

"See?" said Remus. "They're all gone. It's done. Just a little bump in the road for the Ministry."

"Do you know who is in the Knights of Walpurgis? Salvatore Mulciber, Casper Avery, Antonin Dolohov… All of them have claimed to be the Knights of Walpurgis. Are you telling me that those people are just going to give up on their ideals because the Ministry doesn't like them?"

"You're making a leap."

"I'm not. They're going to come back, but it will be a lot more danger than the threat of being trampled at a protest."

"Lily…"

"No, Remus. I'm not going to sit by and watch while innocent people get killed. I'm going to stop it, with or without your help."

* * *

><p>Lily knocked loudly on the door. Out of all the teachers, Professor Stoughton was the only one who acted like there might be at least some danger. Dumbledore and McGonagall probably suspected it, but Stoughton was her best choice even if he was a little strict. None of her friends or the Marauders actually believed that it could be blown up into something much worse than a couple of disappearances, Lily had failed to convince them of something called escalation. She sometimes wondered if it was normal for a second year to read this much into things.<p>

The door swung open, and Professor Stoughton looked surprised to see Lily standing there.

"Ms. Evans! What brings you to my office on this fine Saturday morning. I would have all students would be outside enjoying the beautiful spring weather," asked Stoughton, somehow still managing to keep his uptight attitude.

"Professor, is there a reason that you're being so serious about Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Lily asked tentatively. A diplomatic approach seemed like the best way to get something out of Stoughton.

Stoughton crossed his arms and gave her a grave but critical stare. "Defense Against the Dark Arts is a vital class. You should be taking it seriously, Ms. Evans."

"I know, but last year it wasn't being taught like… there was something else happening in the world," said Lily, hinting at her theories. She was expecting Stoughton to usher her out of his office, claiming that she was too young to get caught up in such things, but Stoughton surprised her.

He sighed and dropped his severe posture. "Why don't you come inside my office?" Stoughton took a step back for Lily to enter, and she did, nervously.

Inside was filled with a wide assortment of magical things; a Foe-Glass sat on the windowsill, and a bookcase full of thick and most likely difficult books ranged from _Horrific Dark Arts and What You Can Do To Stop Them_ to _Potions on the Go: Quick and Easy Methods to Brew Useful Potions_. A miniature Quintaped model scuttled around Stoughton's desk; it clicked its pincers angrily at Lily though it quickly started attacking a quill that had rocked back and forth by barely half a millimeter.

"It appears, Ms. Evans, that you have caught on to the whispers about the Dark Rebellion."

"The Dark Rebellion, sir?"

Stoughton seated himself behind his desk and folded his hands under his chin, surveying Lily intently. "How much have you deduced, Ms. Evans?"

Lily shifted on her feet, wondering if she would treated by Stoughton like her friends were treating her. "It's just that I have a hard time believing that these disappearances of Muggle-borns and Muggles are nothing because I don't believe that they have nothing to do with the Knights of Walpurgis."

"You are not the only one, Ms. Evans. Professor Dumbledore has suspected it for quite some time, and has been trying to get the Ministry to focus its assets on finding out who is behind it."

"But, sir, I was wondering if the Knights of Walpurgis are behind it."

Stoughton looked grim. "The Knights of Walpurgis, I'm afraid, are just a cover for whatever organization is working towards destabilizing our society. Most of the Ministry's work has been to convince most people that there isn't anything wrong, but it seems that at least some students are realizing that it's not all that it seems to be. Are your friends of the same mindset?"

"No, sir. They think I'm reading too far into it. But is the same person behind the disappearances of Victoria Gobsworth, Bernard Thatcher, and Magnolia Rears?"

Stoughton frowned, clearly deep in thought. "Why would you say that?"

"Because if it is just an organization, they wouldn't be too picky about how they kill people, but all of the disappearances are the same: all Muggle-borns and they were killed just as they started to gain a reputation. They disappeared around the same place, their home, and there were only a couple of people who saw them. If it was a bunch of people, then it wouldn't be exactly the same. There would be at least a little bit of a difference."

Stoughton stood up so fast that Lily jumped back. "I will alert Professor Dumbledore of your suspicions, Ms. Evans. I'm impressed that you could piece that much together at your age. Rest assured that Professor Dumbledore is already working on it. You may go."

Lily turned, but Stoughton called her back yet again. "Ms. Evans? Do not speak of your fears to anybody. You never know who might overhear, or who somebody might tell."

Lily nodded and left, grateful that somebody else shared her ideas, but Stoughton's warning was eerily close to something else she had heard.

_You never know what waits and lurks without a presence._


	17. An Unforgivable Night

**An Unforgivable Night**

_Lily POV_

"Alice, what are we doing?" asked Lily as they sneaked down the staircase. It was nearing curfew, and very few students were out of bed. Several portraits snored lightly in their frames, and others made rude hand gestures when they were woken up. There was only a sliver of the moon, providing very little moonlight.

"Shh!" shushed Alice, holding a finger to her lips and trying to keep from giggling at the same time. "I don't want them to hear."

"Hear what?"

Alice didn't answer, but crouched behind a statue of Godric Gryffindor and a lion. Lily followed, completely lost as to what they were doing; she shuddered at the image of McGonagall finding them- this was the kind of thing the Marauders did, not Lily. She was good student- did what she was told, completed her homework, and worked hard at everything. The fact she was stooping to the Marauder's levels almost made her leave Alice then and there.

Alice motioned Lily to come closer, and she complied. Alice cupped her hand and leaned forward towards Lily's ear.

"A lot of the older students have been sneaking out at night. Don't you want to see where they go?" Alice whispered while her breath tickled Lily's ear.

"Alice…"

"No, no, no, it's fine. Just watch," Alice produced a fake bag of popcorn from her robes to add to her words, "And listen." Alice had clearly been dying to say that line with the addition of the fake popcorn.

Footsteps echoed through the halls, and the girls shrunk back into Gryffindor and his lion. Lily held her breath as a pair of familiar voices spoke.

"So will you accept Dumbledore's invitation, Sturgis?" asked a female voice that Lily identified as Emmie's voice.

"Emmeline, I'm not sure."

"We can convince Dumbledore to let our friends join. Alexandra definitely wants to fight. With the Ministry hushing everything up, we can let all the other students know. They have to be prepared for what could come."

"Emmeline, they won't believe us. The _Prophet's_ been convincing everybody that there is nothing to worry about."

"Lily Evans thinks something is up. She figured it out."

"Lily Evans is thirteen! She's not about to do anything, and even if she did when she was of age, I don't think that she's strong enough to fight the Dark L- wizards." Lily picked up on Sturgis' slight hesitation though she wasn't sure if Emmie heard it.

Lily felt her temper rise at Sturgis' assumptions. Hadn't she already proved herself with her skills? How many times had she dueled a Slytherin or Marauder and come out victorious?

"Give her some credit, Sturgis. She's top of the class overall," said Emmie, and Lily felt a rush of affection for the girl.

"She's smart, yes, but she is not cut out for this stuff. Anyways, we're talking about whether _we're_ going to do anything, not about some second year."

"I will," said Emmie. "If Dumbledore's right, and there's a storm coming, I'm in."

Sturgis paused. "Emmie..."

"But we'll be fighting to make this world a better place, Sturgis, and isn't the point of being a Gryffindor to be brave and stand up for what's right."

"You can certainly use the guilt trip, Emmie," said Sturgis drily. "But I'm in if you're in."

* * *

><p>"But how can the <em>Prophet<em> cover up something like that? People aren't supposed to lie about something so blatantly obvious!" Alice said as they walked towards the common room, forgetting that the constant threat of Filch loomed over them.

Poor Alice; she was still figuring out that adults didn't always do the right thing. "Believe it, Alice. How many times have your parents told you not to worry about something?" Alice pointedly ignored Lily's comment.

"Will the _Prophet_ ever report the truth?"

"Maybe- but only on accident," said Lily with a humorless chuckle. She couldn't really laugh when the implications of Emmie's and Sturgis' conversation were proving her theories right.

"Who's there?" a raspy voice suddenly said loudly from the end of the corridor.

Lily jumped violently, and squinted into the darkness. A bobbing light that could only be Filch's lantern pierced the pitch black corridors, and fear washed through Lily.

Alice gasped beside her. "Lily, what do we do? What do we do!" she said with her voice rising several octaves.

"Shut up for starters," whispered Lily furiously, and she slowly tugged Alice backwards.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," Filch's horrible voice mocked. The bobbing light drew nearer.

"Slowly, slowly…" Lily cautioned.

_CLANG!_

Alice had backed right into a suit of armor, and it toppled over with a deafening crash. There was a second that Lily and Alice just stared at each other and then-

"RUN!" Lily yelled as she heard Filch in hot pursuit.

Both Lily and Alice all but sprinted to the opposite end of the corridor; several portraits grunted as the clattering metal jerked them from their sleep.

"You can't run from me, you little brats!" yelled Filch, and Lily resisted the urge to yell, _we already are_.

"Split up," she told Alice. Alice's breathing was growing more ragged the longer they ran. Lily had always been a good runner, but Alice wasn't used to sprinting so much. "It'll confuse Filch more."

"Are- you- crazy? We'll be- caught!" panted Alice.

"See you up in the common room!" said Lily, and she cut to the side down a staircase that led to Merlin knew where. Lily couldn't tell one part of the castle apart from the other in the dark, but she didn't dare light her wand for fear of Filch.

The cooler air alerted Lily to the fact that she was closer to the dungeons, and she couldn't help but groan; Gryffindor tower was on the seventh floor, the opposite way.

Every fifth torch was lit, creating the faintest light. Lily strained her ears for any sign of Filch, but heard none.

"_Lumos_," she whispered, and the light flickered on the tip of her wand. Closer inspection revealed that she was in one of the farthest dungeons, past classroom eight. It was a place that Lily had only gone when she had gotten lost back in her first year, and she had needed St. Nick's help to escape the empty dungeons.

_Great, just great,_ she thought, _now how am I going to get out of here?_

Lily wandered through the creepy halls, her breath now coming out in a mist. Lily wrapped her housecoat closer to her, but the cold still managed to penetrate her fair skin; she was deeply grateful for her long hair to keep her neck warm.

Voices were coming from the second closest dungeon door, and Lily promised she would reprimand herself later for all the eavesdropping. She was becoming too much like the Marauders.

"…tell us where they are," threatened a voice that stirred something in Lily's memory. It was female, but Lily could hear the malice in the mocking, baby tone. It was a voice that could only beling to Bellatrix Black, the dark haired woman who had terrified Lily at her Sorting in first year.

"You're not getting anything out of me," replied a cracked voice. Lily sank into the wall; it was Stoughton, but at the same time it wasn't Stoughton. She had never heard him sound like this: desperate but determined to win a lost cause anyways.

"Oh… I wouldn't be so sure about that. Nobody will hear you down here. We've put a Silencing Charm to the entrance of this corridor, so the only people in danger of overhearing are stupid little kids who come wandering in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they would be dealt with soon enough. _Crucio!_"

Stoughton's screams of agony pierced Lily's ears. She had never heard anything as terrible as it in her entire life. His torturer was laughing cruelly, but Lily slid against the stone wall with her hands over her ears. She had never believed that even someone as evil as Bellatrix could willingly cause that pain.

His screams continued, sending shivers down Lily's spine. Why wouldn't they end it?

Suddenly his screams stopped.

Lily risked discovery by peeking through a crumbling hole in the wall, and the scene was worse than she imagined: Stoughton was twitching on the floor, at the complete mercy of several masked men. She could make out the luscious dark brown hair of the middle one- Bellatrix Black. Two larger men flanked both her sides like a mix between lackeys and bodyguards. Another man was restrained by tight ropes, but he was clearly out cold. Closer inspection revealed that it was Sturgis Podmore.

Lily rubbed her eyes; she must have not seen correctly: Sturgis was just talking to Emmie unless-

Polyjuice Potion.

Oh, the simplicity of it masked the dangerous possibilities that could happen if it was in the wrong hands, one of which was playing itself out in front of Lily.

"Do you want more of that, old man? That's just a little taste of what we have planned if you don't give us our answers quickly. If you tell us, you'll be spared with a painless death," laughed Bellatrix. It was disgusting that Bellatrix could do this kind of thing.

Stoughton groaned and rolled over on his side. "You'll have to kill me."

"Will you ever learn? _Crucio!_" Bellatrix roared, and Lily curled up into a ball, rocking back forth with her ears plugged, but it did no good; the torturous screeches tore through Lily's mental defenses that she was hastily throwing up.

_Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop…_

"Do we have to go through this again, old man? You think that seventh years like us will quail behind these curses?"

"Kill me then," said Stoughton. "Kill me, and I'll be honored to die for somebody else. I may be the Secret Keeper, but you'll never get it out of me."

"You're an idiot, old man, if you think we won't get the information another way. Delran, where's the Veritaserum?"

At this Stoughton laughed. "Fool. They don't call me one of the best Occlumens since Merlin himself for nothing. No amount of Veritaserum will get me to betray my friends."

"You talk too much, old man," sneered Bellatrix. She advanced on Stoughton as if every bit of this was as amusing as watching a puppy chase its tail. "_AVADA KEDAVRA!_"

Petrified, Lily watched with horror as a blinding flash of green light burst from Bellatrix's wand and hit Stoughton squarely in the chest. Time seemed to slow down as her teacher stumbled backwards several steps and dropped; he was dead before he hit the floor.

Lily couldn't look away. Stoughton's eyes stared blankly at the ceiling with his mouth hanging slightly open in surprise. How awful would it be to be murdered without even having a chance of defending yourself, and for what? The only reason Bellatrix had cast the curse was because she was annoyed.

"Take care of him, Justin," ordered Bellatrix who was unperturbed by the fact she had just murdered a man in cold blood. Lily was fighting the urge to vomit.

Justin waved his wand, and Stoughton's body was Transfigured into a large rock.

"Bury it at the edge of Hagrid's pumpkin patch."

Bellatrix approached Sturgis who was stirring. "Perhaps you can tell us what we want," said Bellatrix in the voice a person pouting when they didn't get to cheat off somebody else's test. It was all wrong, so wrong.

Sturgis was now awake, or at least half conscious. He gaped at the place where Stoughton's body had been, and Lily guessed he was piecing it together: Bellatrix was a psychotic monster with no reservations for who she harmed.

"What did you do?" gasped Sturgis, wide-eyed with disbelief that a peer could murder somebody just like _that_.

"You won't answer my question either. Pity. _Imperio!_"

Lily watched, horrified, as Bellatrix cast the Imperius Curse on Sturgis.

_Complete control_, Banks had said when they were given an overview on the Unforgivable Curses. _There is no telling what somebody might do under the effects of the Imperius Curse- some Dark wizards have made people murder entire villages with Fiendfyre_. Banks had told the first years that they were too young to see the curses, and Lily saw the terrifying truth: nothing could prepare people for what was out there.

Sturgis winced, and his face was going red from exertion. Beads of sweat reflected the faint firelight. Suddenly Sturgis collapsed under the force of the spell, and Lily couldn't help but gasp.

Bellatirx whipped her head around to the entrance where Lily was hiding. "Who's there?" she demanded in a sharp voice.

Lily didn't answer.

"Sturgis, go find out who's there and Cruciate them," said Bellatirx, and Lily thought she saw her smile. A sick feeling sunk into her stomach: _complete control_.

There was no other option. Stoughton had always said that she could come back and fight another day, so Lily followed his first piece of advice to her class.

She ran.

Her hurried footsteps confirmed that she had been spying, but she could feel her little Gryffindor courage fade in the face of the Cruciatus Curse. No matter what happened, she would not suffer those moments of absolute, excruciating torture. She might as well die.

Sturgis' heavy footfalls were close behind her, but Lily was a speedy runner, and she had never run faster in her life.

"_Crucio!_" Sturgis yelled, and an intense burst of white light flew over her shoulder, coming within an inch of her cheek. The heat of the curse seared her face, but Lily kept running.

"_Trinus!_" Bellatrix yelled, and Lily went sprawling on the floor from her Trip Jinx.

Lily flipped onto her back so she could view Bellatrix who was grinning maliciously. "You're the Mudblood Evans, aren't you?" she asked, bending down to grab her hair and pull her closer. "Yes, I can smell your filthy blood." Lily gasped in pain as Bellatrix's hold on her hair grew painfully tight.

A crazy impulsiveness replaced the courage that had abandoned her: she spat at Bellatrix.

Bellatrix growled and slapped her hard across her face.

"Wake up, stupid Gryffindor, and watch your fellow student suffer what you could have prevented yourself," giggled Bellatrix, and she flicked her wand, causing the blankness to vanish from Sturgis' eyes but also conjuring ropes to bind him.

"Evans?" Sturgis asked incredulously. His face paled as he saw that she was defenseless against the three malevolent seventh years.

"_Crucio!_" Bellatrix suddenly yelled, aiming at the powerless Lily who was not expecting it and had no time to dodge her curse.

It was agony beyond agony. Raw fire scorched her bones, and white-hot knives pierced her skin, driving through it with enough force to crush her body like it was nothing. A faint screaming rung in her ears, but she was too consumed by the flames to pay any attention. The only thing that mattered was the end, the wonderful void that she saw behind her eyelids. Lily would do anything to end the burning, even die if it meant that she could stop it that second.

It stopped, and Lily floated on the cool air, too disoriented to make sense of her surroundings. Her limbs were twitching, but she had no energy to order them to stop.

"She's thirteen years old! What do you think you're doing, you sick bastard?" somebody yelled.

Lily's eyes flickered open, and she could see Sturgis straining against his ropes while the three Slytherins laughed.

"Look, Podmore! You're fellow Gryffindor's still awake after a full minute of the Cruciatus Curse. Five points to Gryffindor for stubbornness. Five points to Slytherin for the excellent use of the Cruciatus Curse," mocked Bellatrix.

"Don't you dare-"

"I've had enough of your whining, Podmore," snarled Bellatrix, and she flicked her wand, effectively shutting Sturgis up.

Bellatrix turned back to Lily who was too frozen with terror to do anything.

"Whispers here and there. You certainly have a keen mind for somebody your age," said Bellatrix, stepping closer but keeping out of Lily's spitting range. Lily couldn't tell if it was a compliment. "You might be a useful servant to the Dark Lord if you weren't a Mudblood. Tell me, how were you able to figure us out?"

It was the same thing Lily had seen in the unused classroom. Bellatrix wanted answers, but Lily wouldn't- no, she couldn't give her what she wanted, even if it was just a little thing like her strategies.

"Who else did you tell? Say the names, and we might be more merciful to them." Bellatrix aimed her wand at Lily, but she kept her lips firmly shut. Alice, Marlene, Mary, the Marauders… She could just sell them out and avoid the unbearable Cruciatus Curse, but Lily now understood why Stoughton had not told Bellatrix wherever the secret was: it was an unexplainable need to protect her friends.

Bellatrix jabbed her wand, and Lily was abruptly flying through the air with no means of support. Her flailing arms did nothing, and her head smashed against the base of a statue.

Lily groaned, and the Slytherins' laughter reverberated around her head, teasing her, taunting her. There was always a way out, Lily thought, but the fear crushed her, making it hard to think through her haze.

"Did you knock her out?" asked Delran.

"I don't know. Probably. You have no idea how weak some second years are," Bellatrix responded with an amused quality in her tone.

The paralyzing fear was slowly ebbing away from her veins. A new feeling of sheer determination replaced it, though she still feel the dread gnawing at her mind. Lily could hear her heart thudding against her chest with such force that it was a surprise Bellatrix and Delran couldn't hear it.

Her head was crystal clear- a plan, a wild, insane plan, was slowly forming in her head. The chance of her beating two seventh years was less than zero; there was a better chance to get Potter and Black to sing opera during dinner willingly without threatening them in any way.

Lily felt their steps through the stone floor that pressed against her cold cheek, and she gripped her wand tightly. The seventh years wouldn't expect Lily to fight back, so they had seen no reason to take her wand.

A wand point pressed into Lily's shoulder, and she flipped over faster than the blink of an eye.

"_IMPEDIMENTA!_" Lily bellowed, pouring all her fear, all her pain, and her determination into her spell.

Rather than a jet of light, there was a blast of pure energy radiating from her wand, and it filled ever inch of the corridor. Bellatrix and Delran both soared backwards like rag dolls in the wind, but Sturgis only stumbled a little bit.

Strength coursed through Lily, and she struggled to her trembling feet. Bellatrix and Delran were stirring, and it was only a matter of time before they were up and cursing everything under the moon and sun that moved.

She stumbled over to where Sturgis was straining against the ropes. It would have been so easy to just forget him and run to save herself, but the unexplainable need to protect others was stronger, and Lily pointed her wand at Sturgis' ropes, the spell appearing in her head.

"_Diffindo,_" muttered Lily.

Sturgis gave one last tug at the ropes, and they fell free. He rubbed his wrist before grabbing Lily's arm and saying, "Run."

The only thought Lily paid attention to was: _get away_. Nothing else. She didn't care about where she went or which way was closer to the ground floor. Bellatrix would kill her just like she had killed Stoughton- only a minor obstacle keeping Bellatrix from her goal.

One foot in front of the other, and she was a blur racing down the hallway. The only reason Sturgis was able to keep pace with Lily was because his legs were much longer, but Lily's moved twice as fast.

"They're going to get Dumbledore! Run! RUN!" Bellatrix's echoing voice screeched, but Lily only pushed her legs harder. The adrenaline pounding through her was the only thing fueling her now. Stars danced in her vision, but she held the oblivion in danger of suffocating her at bay.

The stairs were close, and Lily ran up them two steps at a time. The horizon outside was hinting at the sunrise with the barest trace of red against the night sky.

She was near the basement now with no sound of Bellatrix or Delran. Lily stopped. She was breathing hard, gulping in the oxygen.

Sturgis was right beside her, and he put a steadying hand on her small shoulder. "Lily?"

Black dots darkened her vision, and before Lily could do anything, she fainted.

* * *

><p>"Headmaster! You cannot question Ms. Evans yet! She needs rest," said a motherly voice that Lily identified as Madam Pomfrey.<p>

"I understand, Poppy, but I must insist. Please tell Ms. Evans' friends that they will have to wait. This is a matter of the utmost importance. Jack has disappeared, and only Mr. Podmore and Ms. Evans have the answers."

"You had Mr. Podmore answer your questions!" agrued Madam Pomfrey. She was obviously using any means at her disposal to get Dumbledore to leave the Hospital Wing.

"I already told you: I was unconscious for most of it," said Sturgis' weary, cracked voice. He sounded like he hadn't had a sip of water for months.

"Exactly my reasoning, Poppy. You are aware that only the few capable of resisting the Imperius Curse can remember what happed under the control?"

"Albus, do you have any idea how much she's been through tonight? No second year should have seen that. There's evidence of the Cruciatus Curse on her, and multiple broken bones. Not to mention a concussion and internal bleeding."

"Mr. Podmore only knows part of the story, and I am well aware of what she's been through. What did you tell everybody else?"

"Mr. Podmore found her outside Hufflepuff's common room, and Ms. Prewett admitted that she and Ms. Evans were sneaking around the castle last night, though Ms. Evans never returned to the common room after they split up to run from Argus."

"As far as anybody is concerned, Poppy, that is all we know of."

"Her friends are out of their minds with worry. What should I tell them?"

"That Ms. Evans took an unfortunate stumble down the stairs. They will not doubt that since it was dark, and Ms. Evans wouldn't have been able to see where she was going."

Lily groaned, and her eyes flickered open, revealing that she was in the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey were standing that the foot of her bed with Sturgis half-laying, half-sitting on the bed next to her, but that quickly changed when Madam Pomfrey saw that Lily was awake; she was at her side in a flash.

"You're physical injuries have been taken care of, but you may be a little sore," said Madam Pomfrey.

"Poppy," Dumbledore said softly.

Madam Pomfrey glowered at him and said fiercely, "Five minutes, and then Ms. Evans is under my watch."

"That will do," said Dumbledore, and Madam Pomfrey stormed into her office.

"Good morning, Ms. Evans," said Dumbledore. He smiled kindly at Lily, but the last teacher she had seen was murdered ruthlessly right in front of her eyes. Lily said nothing but curled up into a tiny ball, hugging herself tightly.

"Professor Stoughton-"

Hearing his name caused Lily to burst into tears. She had never liked Stoughton, but she had respected him. The vivid image of him dropping like a fly, dead just because Bellatrix didn't like his protests, burned itself into her mind.

"He's dead. He's dead and buried," moaned Lily. It was too much. Death and pain… What was she supposed to do?

"Buried where?" Dumbledore said gently, but Lily couldn't answer. The image was fixed in her mind's eye, and there was nothing she could do to erase the blinding flash of green light.

"Lily, his friends deserve peace of mind. I'm asking you to show your courage one more time and tell me where Stoughton is."

Lily took a shaky breath. "Justin... Transfigured him into a giant rock... and buried him... in Hagrid's pump..." Her voice choked up at the last words, but Dumbledore understood the message all the same.

"I want to go home," whimpered Lily. "Just send me home."

Dumbledore nodded. "That will be enough, Ms. Evans. Your friends are waiting outside, but Madam Pomfrey has banned everybody from the Hospital Wing. You may wish to talk to your friends when you want to, but only if your ready."

Lily nodded absentmindedly. She doubted if she could ever tell anybody about that night again.


	18. Same Old, Same Old

**Same Old, Same Old**

_Lily POV_

"Don't let Petunia push you around, Lily," said Alice as she hugged Lily good-bye on the platform. Lily had taken Stoughton's advice to her before he was killed and not told anybody else her suspicions. For the past year, the Knights had truly lied low, but Lily knew that their comeback would just be that much worse.

"Be careful of stairs," Alice joked, and Lily forced a painful smile. She had told her friends that she had fallen down the stairs, and it had quickly spread to the entire population that she was clumsy and not to be trusted around the grand staircase.

Sturgis had played along, although Lily had a sneaking suspicion that he had told Emmie, Alexandra, and his friend, Richie Thomas, a tall, black boy, the real story about Bellatrix and her minions because Lily often caught them sneaking cheerless yet encouraging smiles at her, and Emmie had found any excuse to be next to her in the corridors.

Lily would never be able to understand how Sturgis could have told anybody about it. She had Emmie place the Silencing Charm on her bed, so that if Lily woke up screaming from her nightmares, Alice, Mary, and Marlene could still sleep peacefully, untroubled by the disturbing pictures that had burned their way into Lily's memory permanently.

Unfortunately for her, Mary had taken to joking about it whenever they came to a staircase, and even she wasn't as bad as the Marauders. They had found Lily's unfortunate "accident" quite amusing, and teased her about it whenever they could.

Dumbledore had told the truth to the entire student body, that Professor Stoughton had been murdered by Dark wizards, and that he went down bravely and true to himself, though he left he left out the part including Lily and Sturgis. Everybody had believed it, but only Sturgis and Lily could ever know just how true that was.

"I will," said Lily, a little pale at the painful reminder. Her friends had just assumed that she was fragile because a teacher had been murdered. They had no clue how much more there was behind it.

"Take care, Lily," said Alice.

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"Can you believe Evans, James?" laughed Sirius as they exited with the other students from the Hogwarts Express. After the events with Stoughton, James could hardly blame Lily for being fragile enough to be terrified at someone dying as if she had been the one to watch.

"Stoughton did die," said Remus.

"But still," said Sirius. "Overreacting a bit, don't 'cha think? Besides, who falls down stairs? Klutzy, and it is excellent fuel to tease her with."

Remus frowned. "So you except everybody's explanation, Sirius?"

James coughed purposefully. "Are you saying that Dumbledore's lying to us, Remus?"

"No, I just think that he left some things out."

"Be careful, or you'll become like Lily-Flower when she's obsessing over a problem," warned Sirius jokingly. James was going to point out that Prewett and Evans had overheard fellow Gryffindors talk about things that supported Evans' hypothesis, but Remus beat him to the punch.

"Emmeline Vance and Sturgis Podmore talked about something similar going on. I think Lily might be right."

"Still," said Sirius slowly, like he was talking to a five-year-old, "I don't think that much happened to Evans. What was the worst that could have happened to Flower even if she did do more than fall down the stairs?"

_A lot_, thought James, thinking back to Stoughton's warnings about the Imperius Curse.

"Jaime!" Mrs. Potter's voice yelled through the crowds.

James turned back to his friends and grinned. "You have to come over to my place some time."

"Believe me, James. I will as soon as humanly possible," said Sirius seriously.

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

"I can't believe that we'll be able to go to Hogsmeade next year," said Lily. She was sitting with Severus in the old grove that had been their secret getaway since Lily was nine. It had only been a month since the incident with Bellatrix and Stoughton, but Lily was slowly healing. Three nights ago was the first time she hadn't woken up screaming from the nightmares that had haunted her relentlessly.

"I've been dying to get into Three Broomsticks. Madam Rosmerta, the barmaid, only graduated a couple of years ago. She still doesn't know everybody, and what better way to make new friends?"

Lily giggled. "What better way to get firewhiskey?"

"Lily!" said Severus, surprised. "What happened to you wanting to be a Prefect?"

"What?" said Lily innocently. "What's wrong with having fun once in a while?"

Severus shook his head. "Anyways, Honeydukes has some of the best chocolate in the entire world."

"Not just the entire country, people," said Lily knowingly as if she was speaking to a crowd, "But the entire _world_."

"Lily, what's gotten into you?" laughed Severus, and Lily was working to savor the moment. It was now so rare to have these moments with Severus where they could forget the rest of the world, forget House rivalries, forget Marauders, forget anybody else. Severus' laugh was carefree, a rare occurrence so different from his cynical smirk that was seen in school.

Lily shrugged happily. "I don't know. I'm just…in a good mood."

"LILY!"

Lily turned her head to where Mrs. Evans was yelling in the distance. It took a moment to realize the sun was starting to sink in the horizon.

"I have to go. Be here tomorrow at ten," said Lily, giving Severus a quick hug good-bye.

* * *

><p>"Mum?" said Lily as Mr. Evans set the evening's pot roast on the table. Her mouth was watering at the rich aroma.<p>

"What, sweetie?" asked Mrs. Evans. She raised her head to show Lily she was listening, but her eyes never left her papers she was grading.

"Third years at Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade. Could you please sign my form?" asked Lily, handing her permission slip.

"What's Hogsmeade?" asked Mr. Evans from the kitchen where he was setting plates.

"It's one of the only all-wizarding villages in Britain, and I'm eligible to go on the weekends since I'm old enough. It's supposed to be amazing with these little shops like Honeydukes, which sells candy and chocolate, and Three Broomsticks, and it sells things like Butterbeer and Firewhiskey. Everybody goes."

Mr. Evans met Mrs. Evans' eyes and shrugged. "Couldn't do any harm," he said. "I don't see why not."

Mrs. Evans signed Lily's permission slip and told her to go to the living room so she could concentrate on the essays, which Lily obliged.

When her parents were out of earshot, Petunia appeared from the doorway with a scowl on her face.

"How many asylums can there be for people like you?" she asked sardonically.

Lily's lips twisted into a humorless smile. "Isn't it about time you got new insults, Petunia? You're starting to lose your touch."

Petunia just sneered. "That's not what a normal person would say."

"Ouch, Tuney," she said with sarcasm dripping in every syllable. "That hurt."

"I hope it did, freak."

"Didn't I just tell you that's getting old?"

"Shut it, you little selfish bitch!" she snapped, but Lily grabbed the nearest book and pretended to be oblivious to her sister's offending name-calling.

When Lily didn't respond, Petunia threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "My God!"

"You called?" said Lily, a hint of a genuine smile playing the corners of her mouth, but it was still marred by the cynicism.

"Lily Evans! You are the most insufferable person ever!"

"That's what you say, but everybody with half a brain disagrees."


	19. Professors and Plans

**Professors and Plans**

_Lily POV_

"Who do you think the new Defense teacher is?" asked Mary, peering up at the staff table.

Lily paled a little at mention of the DADA position. While she might not wake up screaming from her nightmares, she was still wary of anything that might remind her that her professor had been tortured and murdered brutally in front of her eyes.

"Obviously that little girl up there," snorted Marlene. "She doesn't even look like a teacher."

Lily forced a painful swallow down her throat as she caught sight of a woman sitting in Stoughton's chair. Her royal blue and gold robes flowed from her short body. The teacher's cherub-like face was perfectly round with perfect make-up, full lips, and wide, innocent eyes, and her mahogany curls were pulled up in a ponytail. Her bright red lipstick and pale face contrasted faultlessly, and Lily thought she looked like a pretty American Girl doll dressed up in witch's robes.

"She looks twelve!" exclaimed Alice.

"She looks five," said Lily simply, and the four girls weren't the only ones surprised by the DADA position's pick. The Marauders were sitting a little farther back, snickering and pointing at the woman.

"Welcome to another fun-filled year at Hogwarts!" said Dumbledore after he stood up and called the Great Hall to attention. "For starters, let us welcome Professor Rawlings who has kindly accepted the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher after Professor Stoughton passed away."

The students clapped, and Professor Rawlings stood up and bowed with a cheerful smile plastered on her pretty face. When she stood up, Lily could get a better view of her new teacher. She was shorter than Lily had originally thought, only a couple inches taller than Lily herself. Her proportions were balanced, and her movements graceful.

Some boys in the back wolf-whistled, and Professor Rawlings cheeks went pink, completing the image of a porcelain doll. McGonagall glared in the general direction of the wolf-whistles, but she did nothing else.

"I'm sure you will all appreciate Professor Rawlings' lessons. I've come across few witches as competent as her in the area of defense, although she will only be here a year." Dumbledore's emphasis on competent was clear.

"First years are not to go towards the Whomping Willow, as several of our older students can testify to the violence. Mr. Filch…"

* * *

><p>"What do you think of Rawlings?" asked Alice.<p>

"Pink Puffskein," Lily told the Fat Lady as they approached the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. "I don't know. Dumbledore obviously thinks highly of her, but she looks like she belongs to a tea party hosted by a six-year-old."

"She looks like she belongs on a shelf in a toy store," said Potter, coming up behind her. "Hello, Evans, how are you on this fine day?"

Lily glared at Potter. The level arrogance he was releasing at the moment was much higher than Lily was used to. Potter's cheeky grin was less mischievous and more sly; something in his expression warned Lily that she had better watch out before she got a spider dropped in her hair.

"I'm talking to you, Potter. What do you think?"

Potter cocked his head slightly and smirked. "You should be honored I'm talking to you, Evans, but you don't look like it. Nothing a good jinx won't fix."

"Don't even think about it," Alice growled, but Lily just gave him the dirtiest glower she could muster, but unlike last year, he was immune.

"I should be honored? I'm horrified that someone like you is walking the halls of this school."

Potter's smile faltered, and he whipped out his wand. "That's just rude, Evans."

Lily's own wand was out quicker than Potter could blink. "What is with you? Can't you just leave me alone? You can't just strut around like you own the place and hex anything that annoys you," she yelled. He had changed over the summer, and not for the better. The old Potter was annoying, but the new Potter emitted an air of mean roguishness.

"Evans, you're ruining the sport," Potter pouted.

"Good," Lily snarled. "Now go away. You're contaminating my air."

* * *

><p>Lily sat down next to Alice and waited for Rawlings to enter the classroom. Her decorative taste was much more down-to-earth than her looks suggested. A bookcase full of volumes written by well-known authors detailed everything from handling dementors to the psychology of wizards. Interesting artifacts littered the shelves, and Lily couldn't even guess how old some of them looked. A bulletin board was tucked away in a corner with yellowed <em>Prophet<em> articles.

"Good evening, class," said Rawlings, entering the room with purposeful strides towards the front. While her angelic face was the same as ever, her crystal blue eyes glinted with a determination not unlike McGonagall's. Her voice was a bell-like soprano, but her tone was no-nonsense and serious.

"Good afternoon, Professor Rawlings," mumbled the class.

Rawlings reached the front and faced the class, a sudden smile spreading across her face. "Well," she said, clapping her hands, "Let's get straight to it. My name is Sage Rawlings, and I am your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I am twenty years old, and I just graduated from the Auror Academy, but I've spending the past five months running some errands for Professor Dumbledore. I'm not sure how your previous teachers taught you, but I am a firm believer in the hands-on approach," she said.

The Marauders burst out laughing, and Rawlings frowned. "Is there something funny, boys?"

"We were just wondering whether you were qualified for this job, or if Dumbledore picked you up at a tea party. Pretty little girl like you must have just graduated from a Muggle finishing school or something," said Black, and Lily's irritation rose swiftly. It was one thing to think of a teacher as inexperienced, but asking whether somebody was qualified when Dumbledore had personally asked her was crossing a line.

Rawlings obviously thought so too, but she was already on it. "You two, out of your seats," she said smiling.

Potter and Black were confused but did what they were told.

"If you doubt my abilities, why not duel me? Two against one; fair enough, don't you think?"

Potter grinned widely. "Of course, Dolly." Lily could hardly believe his audacity to mock a teacher, but it was imcomprehensible that he actually believed that he and Black could duel a teacher and win when they were only thirteen.

Rawlings' eyes flashed at Potter's nickname, but she held her composure, and Lily was silently rooting for her teacher, wanting more than ever for someone to put Potter and Black in their places without just a simple detention.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Black suddenly yelled, attacking her while Potter pretended to rummage his bag for his wand.

Lily gasped at Black's sudden attack, but she didn't have to be worried. Rawlings simply flicked her wand without uttering a word, and a strong shield reflecting Black's spell. It sailed towards Potter and struck him as soon as Potter had opened his mouth to cast his own hex. His wand flew out of his hand and landed in Rawlings'.

"Expected, the two of you. Your intentions are written all over your faces. You won't stand a chance if you can't be unpredictable," said Rawlings.

"_Stupefy!_" Black roared, and Rawlings deflected his Stunner as easily as breathing.

"You won't get anywhere if you keep attacking head-on. You seem like a pair of troublemakers, so use your troublemaking imagination. All that has to be useful for something."

Black ignored her advice and hammered her with a multitude of curses and hexes, but Rawlings repelled them again and again, and Lily's respect for her teacher mounted rapidly; looks could be deceiving.

Finally Rawlings cast her own Disarming Spell, and Black's wand flew out of his hand promptly. Potter and Black stared at Rawlings open-mouthed.

Rawlings handed Black's wand back to him and turned to the class at large. "As I said before, I believe in a hands-on approach. The thing that gets a lot of wizards is that defense is more than just performing some fancy charms. What is the most important thing you can have in a fight?"

Everyone just stared at her blankly, and Rawlings smiled ruefully. "Logic," she said. "All the power in the world won't help you if you don't know what to do with it. All the wisdom would go to waste. Your enemy has one goal: to harm you, and that's your first advantage. Dark wizards rely on their magic and consider any other means beneath them, so that's where you attack. Unpredictability. That's one of the best weapons if you use it the right way.

"In the little time I've spent out in the world, there's always something that can help you if you know where to look. Dark wizards hate Muggle ways, but if they've Disarmed you, then your best shot might be just punching them in the nose. Not very sophisticated, but effective all the same. You need to think! You need to know your surroundings. Know your limits. Know your skills. Know your advantages."

Everybody was hanging on the Rawlings' speech. Any doubts about her knowledge had erased, and she clearly was not just a pretty face.

"Homework: write me a foot on non-magical ways to defend yourself, and explain how they could be used in real-life situations," said Rawlings as the bell rang. "Ms. Evans, a word if you please."

Mystified, Lily shot Alice a questioning look, but her friend just shrugged, as lost as Lily was. As far as Lily was concerned, she had not done anything to make Rawlings call her out.

Rawlings waited until all the students were gone before speaking.

"Ms. Evans, it is my understanding that you were present when Jack Stoughton was murdered," said Rawlings gently.

Lily hastily covered her expression of surprise with polite confusion. "I'm sorry, but what do you know about Professor Stoughton's murder?"

Rawlings smiled sadly. "I know about your suspicions and the incident with Bellatrix Black, Delran Harvey, and Justin Rousseau. There is a reason Dumbledore asked me to take over Defense Against the Dark Arts position. I worked with Jack for a period of time."

Lily looked down, feeling guilty of her selfishness. She couldn't have been the only one affected by his death. It was stupid to think that he didn't have friends and family who would mourn him. "I'm sorry."

"Ms. Evans, I didn't hold you back just to give a talk about moving on past the death of somebody. I was a Gryffindor as well, and I know that if something like that ever happened to me, I would want to learn everything that I could so it didn't happen again."

Lily tilted her head ever so slightly. "Why help me if it was just one incident?"

Rawlings smile vanished. "Because when Mr. Podmore described your Impediment Jinx, it is not something that a normal second year could have achieved. The three responsible for the Jack's death might have told somebody how powerful it was for a second year, and Professor Dumbledore believes that if the wrong person got a hold of that information then your life could be in more danger."

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight: Dumbledore believes that you're in danger?"<p>

"Check."

"And Rawlings is offering private lessons in defense?"

"Check."

"And Rawlings also believes that you're in danger because she knew Stoughton, and he was killed?"

"Check."

"Why?" Alice asked as the two girls sat on Lily's bed in their pajamas with Alice's cat, Chester, purring in Lily's lap as she stroked him.

Lily wanted to answer Alice's question, but how would she explain to her best friend that she had been lying for several months? All of her friends still didn't know that she had seen Stoughton murdered in cold blood and that she herself suffered from the Cruciatus Curse, though she suspected that Remus deduced that there was something she wasn't telling them, but Lily doubted that his speculations ever came close to the truth.

"Because…"

To tell, or not to tell?

"Because they think I have a lot of magic, and they don't want somebody else to try to take advantage of it," Lily finished lamely.

Alice bit her lip suspiciously, but she let Lily's bad explanation go anyways. "Why would they think that? I mean, you're an amazing witch, but I don't think it's quite enough to make Dark wizards aware of your powers unless you're the female Dumbledore."

Lily shrugged helplessly.

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"Okay, so we've got the basic method down, Remus," said James, shoving a piece of parchment in front of Remus who was sitting in the common room finishing up the DADA essay.

Remus slowly put down his quill and took James' parchment. "And what exactly is that?"

"Well, the potion is the most difficult part," said James. "It takes several months to brew, and we're going to have to get some ingredients the Marauder way."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you mean steal."

"Not stealing," Sirius protested, "Just borrowing."

"Stealing,"- Sirius stared at him- "Sorry, _borrowing _from where exactly?"

"Well…" started James, and he knew that Remus would have a slight surprise when he learned where they would have to get the ingredients, "Slughorn has some in his private storeroom, and the ," he finished very quickly.

"Sorry, but I couldn't hear the last part. I thought I heard the Ministry of Magic," said Remus politely, but James could hear the disbelief in his voice.

"It's only the storeroom, and that is probably the easiest place to break into in the Ministry," said Sirius.

"Why is that?"

"Because most of the stuff is worthless, and they assume for the Ministry-made potions that most people aren't smart enough to concoct them," said James.

Remus sighed. "I'm assuming that you're just letting me know and not asking for my permission."

James grinned. "You know us so well, Remus."


	20. Ulterior Motives

**Ulterior Motives**

_Lily POV_

"Right, Ms. Evans. How advanced would you say your skills are? Your other teachers have only said good things about you, but how do you feel?"

Lily shrugged at Rawlings' question. "I'd say good enough. I've managed the Shield Charm, Disarming, Impediment Jinx, and Stunning Spell, but I usually use other charms."

"Like what?"

"I've charmed some things to distract my opponent."

Rawlings bit her lip. "So I would say that your defensive strategy is good, but your offensive arsenal of hexes could use some improvement."

Lily was slightly hurt but Rawlings' assumptions. "I've still managed to beat other people."

"Only other thirteen year olds who are nowhere near cruel enough to use the Unforgivable Curses," corrected Rawlings. "But when you're facing wizards who are willing to use curses you wouldn't dream of using, you must treat them as you would treat a sixth or seventh year right now."

Rawlings took out her wand and conjured a dummy. "Right, I want you to show me your most powerful spell. Any spell you have ever heard of."

Lily nodded and focused on the dummy.

"_Flipendo!_" she yelled. Lily had been expecting the dummy to fly backwards, but something intercepted her Knockback Jinx. It wasn't a Shield Charm because there was no deflection, but she could feel something absorb her magic, spreading it thin until there was no harm that could be done.

Rawlings shook her head. "That's what everybody does. They just send jinxes at targets, but they never really _focus_. Try again, but this time, concentrate on your target and envision your Knockback Jinx hitting it. I want you to imagine the moment of impact and the outcome. Channel your magic."

Lily nodded and closed her eyes. There was a feeling of power flowing through her to her wand as she pictured just the dummy and her jinx.

"_Flipendo!_" she yelled, and the dummy was violently thrown across the room where it dissolved into a pile of dust.

Rawlings smiled. "Well done, Ms. Evans. That is probably the strongest Knockback Jinx I have ever seen."

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"Gryffindor 2, do you copy?" James whispered into a little chess piece that Remus had gotten Evans to charm, but James doubted Evans even knew why Remus wanted the chess pieces. Remus had told James that Evans didn't want to know what they were doing, which was fine by James.

"Why can't I be Gryffindor 1?" whined Sirius, and James' chess piece's mouth moved in perfect sync with Sirius' words.

"Because, you idiot, you get the king," James said.

"Still, I think I should get both as a little consolation prize for not snogging Dawn Vasquez," Sirius replied.

"Your consolation prize was Harriet Browning," said Remus, now in the conversation. "Now are you going to get a move on?"

"Gryffindor 4 is in place," said Peter.

"Gryffindor 4, you shouldn't refer to yourself as Gryffindor 4. It only makes you seem like more of an idiot," snapped Sirius.

"Gryffin- I'm sorry, Sirius."

"I'm not Sirius! I'm Gryffindor 2!"

"Sorry, sorry…"

"I thought we were all serious about this," smirked James.

"I am serious!"

"But you just said you were Gryffindor 2."

"I believe that my name actually _is _Sir- are you serious, James?"

"You can't tell the difference between Sirius and James?"

"Haha. Very funny. I was asking if you saying that in a serious tone."

"Course not. I use my Gryffindor 1 tone."

"Shut up," muttered Sirius, and James was giggling at his own antics. "Let's get a move on."

"Okay, fellow Marauders. Gryffindor 4, is there anybody in the Entrance Hall?"

"All clear. I repeat, all clear in the Entrance Hall," whispered Peter into his bishop.

"Roger that, Gryffindor 4," said James, and he quickly took off with the floo powder he had stolen from McGonagall's office. The corridors were quiet at three o' clock in the morning besides the occasional glimpse of a teacher or a ghost who was patrolling.

James ran down the hall swiftly under the Invisibility Cloak. He saw nobody except Professor Vector who was humming to a tune next to classroom eleven.

"Gryffindor 2, all clear except Enemy 5's checking out classroom eleven. Wait for it…" said James as he watched Vector enter the large classroom. "Now, now, now!"

James turned and ran towards Peter who was standing guard in the Great Hall. They could have all sneaked down together under the Invisibility Cloak, but Sirius had argued that there was no fun, so they were all set up in different stations: Sirius and James in the upper corridors with the Invisibility Cloak, Remus in the dungeons, and Peter in the Great Hall.

Sirius came sprinting down the corridor, and James watched as he swung one leg over the banister and slid down it gracefully, though James was briefly tempted to jinx him off and watch him bounce harmlessly down the stairs. James passed the Cloak off to Peter who was watching the classrooms at the other end of the Entrance Hall, and he ducked down behind Peter and crouched behind the doors. Sirius joined him three seconds later.

"Enemy 5 is walking out of the classroom, Gryffindor 3. Anybody in the dungeons?" Peter asked in a disembodied voice. It was surreal for James not to see where Peter's voice was coming from.

"Negative," said Remus. "Is Enemy 5 out of view yet?"

"Hold on… hurry!" Peter hastily whispered into his bishop.

There were muffled footsteps, and Remus suddenly appeared in James' vision. There was a shimmer of air, and Peter appeared out of thin air right next to Remus.

"That's all of us. Let's go," James said, and they all ran quickly to the fireplace. They could have used any teacher's fireplace, but none of them was big enough to hold all of the Marauders at once.

James threw the floo powder into the fireplace, and the flames turned a bright, emerald green that reminded him of a certain redhead's eyes. They all stepped into the fireplace, and James yelled, "Ministry of Magic!"

There was the swirl of green fire that spun James around faster and faster. He caught glimpses of living rooms and kitchens as he whirled with his friends right beside him. Nobody was around in the houses that he could see, but that was expected.

With a final _whoosh_, James stumbled out of the fire and into a large black hall that he had been only once when he was six with his father during a Take-Your-Child-To-Work Day. He still had shivers thinking about the wanted posters stuck up on bulletin boards in the Auror office.

Remus and James had to grab both of Peter's arms to keep him for falling flat on the floor as he tumbled awkwardly from beside Sirius.

"Where is everybody?" Peter asked stupidly as he glanced around the black hall.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Bed, Pete. It's three in the morning."

"Oh, sorry."

Remus produced the map of the ministry out of his cloak. "Right now, we're in the Reception Area of the Atrium. A couple hundred feet, there should be a side chamber with the entrance to the Magical Maintenance Department. C'mon."

They all took of running, and the Fountain of Magical Brethren loomed over the four.

James held his arm out to stop his friends, and he peered around the corner to the security desk with one chubby guard fast asleep.

"Where's the Cloak, Pete?"

Peter rummaged his cloak for it, but he stopped and blushed. "I think I forgot it in the Great Hall."

"What in the name of Merlin's big-ass pe-"

"Sirius!" Remus whispered furiously at Sirius, and he motioned at the guard who snorted and turned his head. "You'll wake him up, you idiot!"

"No thanks to the Cloak," sneered Sirius, still glaring at Peter who was shrinking away behind James.

"Sirius," warned James, and Sirius huffed and faced the guard.

"I'll go first," he said, but Remus grabbed his arms.

"Wait! We need his keys to Magical Maintenance."

Sirius growled at Peter. "This would have been so much easier if- James!"

But James, tired of Sirius' jabs at Peter, was already sneaking forward towards the sleeping guard. He slowly withdrew his wand and muttered, "_Pertrificus Totalus!_" There was a wisp of air from his wand, and the guard froze. It was a sign of how deep asleep he was that the guard didn't wake up before being frozen.

"James, what if somebody sees him?" asked Remus, but James scoffed and stood up straight.

"Nobody's around," said James in his normal voice. "Hurry up."

Peter and Remus glanced at Sirius, and he nodded. Quietly, even with James' guarantees that the guard is frozen, and Remus went right up to James and whispered in his ear, "You do know the Body-Bind Curse doesn't stop the victims from hearing, right?"

James stole a terrified glance at the guard, but he hadn't opened his eyes. James bit his lip, fully realizing that the guard could now be awake, but he couldn't know if the guard was listening to their plans or not.

"Don't talk within earshot of that guy," said James almost inaudibly.

A look of understanding crossed Remus' face, but Peter was still confused. "Why? He's frozen."

Sirius rolled his eyes for the billionth time that night. "Because, Pete, he could be awake and still listening to us."

Peter's eyes went round as coins. "Oh!"

"Let's get out of here," muttered James, and he dragged Peter past the guard's desk with Remus and Sirius following cautiously.

"It should be right around here," said Remus, and the Marauders peeked around the hallway to view a perfectly circular room with four doors which were in constant motion, gliding through the black wall like hippogriffs through the air.

"Merlin's pants! I forgot about the Anti-Burglar Jinxes. From ten at night to five in the morning, the doors are in constant motion to dissuade thieves and other people like that."

"So what do we do?" asked Peter.

Remus bit his lip. "Well, there is usually a spell taught to Ministry employees that enables them to know which door is which, but I don't know it. I suppose…" Remus trailed off, and looked at the other Marauders hopelessly.

"We each choose one, and see where it goes," said James. He stepped into the space, and the doors stopped moving, though none of them zoomed back to their original places. Ignoring Remus' protests that they should stick together, he strode towards the nearest door and jerked it open.

He faced Remus, Sirius, and Peter who were standing still fifteen yards away. "Well, don't just stand there. Choose one and go." Without another word, James stepped through the door and closed it behind him.

So help him, it was not the Magical Maintenance Department, but the Auror office. All over the place were vacant cubicles with pictures of various family members, Quidditch teams, and wanted posters.

James gripped his wand tightly; he did not want to come across a fully trained Auror while he was snooping around the Ministry.

James was about to go back through the door when something caught his eye. It was a map in a cubicle with decorations just like the others. He carefully approached the map, and read the heading.

_Knights of Walpurgis/ Death Eaters_

Death Eaters? James had never heard that name, but it sounded much worse than the Knights of Walpurgis. All across the map were little colored tacks: red, black, white, and yellow. The key beside it read,

_Black: mass murder_

_Red: single murder_

_White: disappearance (unconfirmed deaths?)_

_Yellow: protests_

There were many yellow dots around London and the other major cities, and white pins dotted the board infrequently. James breathed a sigh of relief as he saw no red or black.

"Who are you?" demanded a harsh voice from behind him.

James jumped and turned around with his hands up in surrender. He might have been stupid enough to challenge Rawlings, but he had definitely learned his lesson and would never confront an Auror in the Ministry with wands.

"I'm not stealing anything! I promise!"

"James Potter?" asked the voice, and the speaker stepped into view. A brilliant shock of red hair covered the extremely freckly head on top of a short and stocky body. James recognized him at once as Alice Prewett's cousin, Fabian Prewett.

"Hey, Prewett. How's it going?" asked James weakly, and Fabian lowered his wand ever so slightly.

"What are you doing in the Ministry at three in the bloody morning?"

"Um, trying to find the Magical Maintenance Department?" James said, ruffling his hair nervously.

Fabian scrutinized him, and James shifted his feet, not being used to Fabian doin g that kind of thing. He could tell there was a serious battle going on in Fabian's head. "Tell you what, James. Since I like your pranks so much, I'll cut you a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"Minister Nobby Leach is having a top secret meeting, and Whitman and I are the Aurors that the Minister is using for security. I've been working with Dumbledore for a while, and I need to report to him about what's been going on in the meeting, but Leach is paranoid and has made it so nobody at the meeting can talk about it."

"How do I fit into that?" Being caught by Filch, he could accept because there was usually an escape route, but being caught eavesdropping on a top secret meeting with the Minister of Magic himself and only his most trusted advisors was in an entirely different league.

"Because Leach won't know that you're there, so you can tell Dumbledore everything that goes on in that meeting."

Excitement mounted in James replacing his earlier fear. "Count me in, Fab!"

But James sensed a big 'however' coming.

"However, you can't tell _anybody_ else but Dumbledore about this, James. That includes the other Marauders. This is more than just some silly little secret that could spread around Hogwarts like a fourth year hit by the Babbling Curse. There are some people that this is a matter of life and death, and I'm not exaggerating the slightest." Fabian's tone changed from serious to the closest thing to grave James had ever heard Fabian use.

He gulped and nodded.

Fabian grinned brightly and slapped James' shoulder. "Knew I could count on you, mate. Let's go piss off the Minister of Magic now."

Fabian led James through a series of magically rotating doors, and before James knew it, he was standing in an ornate and large office that could only be for the Minister of Magic. Sleeping portraits adorned the walls, and a large gilded desk sat in the middle with an chair that looked like it could be from the Elizabethan era.

"Right, in there. Quickly," muttered Fabian, nudging James into a large cabinet and closing the door so he only had an inch to peek out of. "Whatever you hear, stay quiet."

Fabian walked out of the Minister's office, but barely thirty seconds later, he was back with another tall man with a shaved head and a bushy beard dressed in Auror's robes. James guessed the man was Whitman.

Five or six people followed him, the first man dressed in black, expensive-looking robes. His shoulder-length hair was the same color as Remus', but his demeanor was completely different from his friends. The way he carried himself was dignified, but James thought there was something else behind his gait, a shrewdness that warned James not to count on him to follow through on deals.

Nobby Leach, the Minister of Magic.

"Nobby, are you sure about inviting her? She believes Dumbledore," said one wiry man dressed in dark green robes that were on the small side, showing a bit more wrists and ankles than James would have.

Leach nodded solemnly. "There's been talk that some students are standing up to her even, and I believe that she would be the most impressionable of all them. She's young, and our chances of convincing her are good."

James noticed Fabian's face twitching, almost as if he was trying to hide a knowing smile.

"Yes, but she was just as stubborn as the other Gryffindors," said the wiry man unpleasantly, and the insult was enough for James to feel a flare of resentment at the man for his House.

The Minister was about to respond when the door open and another person James couldn't see entered.

"Sorry I'm late," said a breathy, soprano voice, and James almost gasped. It was Rawlings, but she didn't sound like the tough professor who had dueled him in the first lesson he and Sirius had had with her.

Rawlings stepped into James' line of vision, slightly pink for exertion, and she was giggling, actually giggling like school girls did over dresses and toys and all the other weird things they found interesting. It was the first time he had seen Rawlings play up her doll-like features, complete with a pale pink frock; she looked younger than ever.

"I'm assuming, Mr. Minister, that you've called me here for a reason. You see, Dumbledore thought it would be hilarious to tell me that I actually have to _grade_ essays," Rawlings looked positively horrified at the thought, "And risk my new nails at the same time." Rawlings held up bright magenta nails that she certainly hadn't had yesterday.

Some of the men were looking at her with skepticism, and others with infatuation. James wouldn't believe that Rawlings was acting like this unless she had an reason for dressing up like a baby doll and acting like she couldn't put two plus two together. Some of the looks she was receiving would have earned the relevant men rolling around on the ground with a nasty hex and kick where the sun doesn't shine.

Leach cleared his throat. "Ms. Rawlings-"

"Oh, please, Mr. Minister, call me Sage," said Rawlings, almost like she was flirting.

"Sage, then, I was wondering if you could represent Hogwarts in this little meeting," said the Minister with a fake smile that James was sure Rawlings could see right through, but she acted differently.

"Minister, I'm so honored that you feel that way! I would love to report back to Dumbledore everything-"

"My lovely Sage," laughed the Minister, though his smile hardly reached his eyes. "There's really no need to tell Dumbledore everything about the normal dealing of the Ministry. I'm sure he has enough to busy himself with. I was just wondering if you could tell us if something is in the best interests of Hogwarts."

Rawlings bobbed her head enthusiastically like a ten-year-old girl always eager to please. "Of course, Minister. Anything that will help."

There was a flash of irritation in the Minister's eyes at Rawlings and her attitude, but he forced a painful smile. "Right. Sage, I and many other trusty friends of mine have been thinking it over, and we believe that all this nonsense really isn't that big of a threat."

Rawlings was politely confused, rather like a girl who couldn't quite get the hint that her boyfriend was cheating on her. "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm sure that all these disappearances that Professor Dumbledore is talking about is something to be worried about, right, Mr. Minister?"

Leach shook his head and laughed, though James was sure he was laughing at Rawlings' 'stupidity'. "No, no, my dear Sage. Some of us have been talking about it, and we really do believe that it is just a little spat that will blow over. Convince Dumbledore that he doesn't really have to prepare the children that much. Theory will be good enough, for now."

Rawlings' added hesitation to her act, making her all the more believable. "If you're sure it will help, Mr. Minister, then I would be more than happy to teach more theory."

Leach leered unpleasantly. "We're sure it will help, Sage. You're dismissed, my dear."

Rawlings left with a final curtsey, and James saw a triumphant flash in her eyes as she glanced at Fabian, and the barest trace of a smirk crossed Fabian's face.

"Please floo me if you need anything else," trilled Rawlings, and she left with a final twirl of her pink frock.

When the door closed, Leach snorted. "Can you believe that woman? She's thicker than a concussed troll. We'll have no trouble getting her on our side."

Another person, James couldn't tell if it was a man or woman, said, "I don't know. She's smart enough to be a teacher."

"Teachers can be stupid. Nobby, there's been a writer in the _Daily Prophet_, Esme Watchet, who's been writing about some of these things. How much more money can we spare buying off the writers?"

Leach frowned. "We still have two thousand galleons left over from the campaign trail. I suppose we're making another lowly, snooping reporter rich this week. Have we got any farther trying to contact the leader of the Knights?"

Yet another advisor came forward. "No, sir. The Knights of Walpurgis have been...elusive."

Leach nodded in defeat. "We need to find out what they want, so people can live peaceful lives. What?" he asked a pair of advisors who were giving each other meaningful looks.

"Nobby, I think that the only way to appease the Knights are to give Muggle-borns and Muggles lesser rights."

Fury rose in James, and it took all his will power to not jump up and start cursing every single one of those assholes for that. He flashed back to Evans. Though he never liked her goody-two-shoes attitude towards the Marauders pranks, if gave Evans lesser rights just because of her blood-status, James would firmly stand by his fellow Gryffindor.

Corruption at its finest.

"Sir, is it really smart to restrict almost ten percent of the population?"

"If that means survival for the other ninety percent, then that's a risk I'm willing to take," said the Minister. "Besides, how much good have most of the Muggle-borns actually done? I say keep the positions of power to pure-bloods and half-bloods. They're not really cut out for that kind of stuff anyways. It's hard enough to get them to adapt to the Wizarding world."

The growing hatred for Nobby Leach made his blood boil, but James remained and listened to the rest of the conversation for Fabian.

* * *

><p>"Here you are, James. Magical Maintenance Department," Fabian announced, leading James to a door somewhere on the fourth level, far from where the storeroom was supposed to be. "Now why don't you use whatever means you're using for communication with your little friends and get them over here."<p>

James didn't ask how Fabian knew. He remembered overhearing Prewett telling Evans about how the twins were pranksters; Prewett had felt bad for the teachers since they only had one year off between Fabian and Gideon and the Marauders.

One minute later, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were at James' side in the Magical Maintenance Department.

"Remember: _tell no one_," Fabian whispered in James' ear. Without another word, Fabian was gone.

Remus raised an eyebrow at James as the red hair disappeared behind a corner. "Did we miss something?"

James shook his head. "I sorry, but I promised Fabian I would only tell Dumbledore. Now, are we going to get these ingredients or not?"

* * *

><p>"Nobody's here, go!" James whispered as they sneaked out of the storeroom with their arms full of acromantula venom and dragon tears.<p>

"Peter, you left the Invisibility Cloak in the Great Hall, right?" asked Sirius.

Peter nodded in affirmative.

"Good, the house-elves clean that at about one in the morning, so if we get a little luck on our side, nobody will have noticed the Cloak. If fact-"

James suddenly slapped a hand over Sirius' mouth. Outraged, Sirius glared at him, but James held a finger to his lips and pointed at the security desk. Sirius' eyes widened.

The guard who James had frozen had been released from the Body-Bind and was talking to a man in Auror's robes in a low voice. The Auror nodded at something the guard said and ran towards the opposite side of the Atrium.

The guard was now standing alert, wand out and ready, waiting for anybody to pass him.

Peter was squeaking in fright, and Sirius and Remus were pale, but James' head cleared. Peter's fear seemed to clear his own head, and a plan fell into place; he wasn't a Marauder for nothing.

James puckered his lips and whistled quietly. The guard jumped violently and cautiously approached the place where the Marauders were hiding, but James was already in action.

He set Peter in the place where he had whistled, and James himself, with Remus and Sirius, hid a little farther back.

"I'm so sorry! I was lost, and I just thought somebody in the Ministry could help me get home since my house isn't connected to the Floo Network," Peter wailed, and the guard stood up straight, unsure about the blubbery Peter.

"Look, kiddo-"

Whatever the guard was going to say, he didn't get the chance since James sent a whispered Stunning Spell.

"Hurry, hurry!" he said urgently, waving his arms forward, and the other Marauders followed him.

The four of them sprinted down the black hall to the Reception Area. James barely waited two seconds before grabbing floo powder and throwing it into the fireplace.

"Great Hall of Hogwarts!" James yelled, and the spinning fire was already whisking the Marauders back to the castle.

The green fire didn't stop whirling until James and his friends all clambered out of the hearth and into the familiar Great Hall.

"Peter, where did you leave the Invisibility Cloak?" asked Sirius the minute he was done coughing out the powder.

"Right over...here..." Peter trailed off on the last word as he waddled to the doors. He spun back to the Marauders, chewing his lip nervously. "Well, it _was _here," he protested weakly.

Dread gripped James' insides unpleasantly.

"What do you mean it _was_ here?" Sirius demanded. "Where is it?"

"I- I think somebody m- might have t-t-taken it."

**Hello, people. Worldnerd12 here.**

**I was going to stop with the ANs at the end of the chapters since I was just adding a couple of chapters to the middle years, but I have exactly 1 review (Thank you, lynnnnyl!) I love to write, and I'll be posting chapters AT LEAST every other day until I get up to the point I was before, but reviews are the only way I can get better. It is extremely discouraging for me to only have 1 review (Again, THANK YOU, LYNNNNYL! I send you a billion mental hugs). I have no clue if people like the added chapters in between first year and fifth year. I don't even know if people are reading it.**

**So I'm _begging _you to please leave me a review. It could even be something as simple as pointing out a grammar mistake. I know some people will probably read this and be like 'other people will review' or 'I just want to read other stories after this one' or 'I don't feel like it'. Please, please, please. It can take five seconds. Suggestions are always welcome. Even if you want me to start my weird little ANs with all the ways I say good-bye, leave that in a review.**

**Thank you.**

**Worldnerd12**


	21. A Thief and a Warning

**A Thief and a Warning**

_Lily POV_

"_Duro,_" whispered Lily, flicking her wand at a pillow she had obtained from a house-elf Alice had cornered late in the common room yesterday evening.

Nothing happened, and Lily felt a faint flash of frustration. She had been working of Transfiguration spells for the past twenty minutes, but she was no closer to turning the pillow to stone than she was when she started.

"Damn pillow. Just transform to stone already!" Lily muttered angrily. "_Duro._ ARG!" Lily aimed a furious kick at the pillow.

"What did the poor pillow do to you, sweetie?" frowned Marlene, sliding elegantly to the side of Lily's bed.

Lily gave a short, exasperated chuckle. "I just don't understand how I spend almost all my time trying and fail, but Potter gets it right away."

"People have different strengths, Lily. Transfiguration is Potter's," said Marlene consolingly, but Lily still growled in annoyance. "Besides, you can take pleasure in the fact that you can actually keep track of your things."

Lily frowned at Marlene's implication. "What do you mean?"

She just shrugged in response and said, "I overheard Black yelling at Pettigrew about losing something, and it sounded like it belonged to James. No clue what it was though."

Lily smiled slightly at that: it wasn't always glamorous to be a Marauder.

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"We've looked everywhere!" James complained, pacing the dormitory with Sirius, Remus, and Peter all staring at him blankly. "Somebody _has_ to have taken it!"

Peter mumbled another apology, but Remus looking meaningfully at James. "They would have to know about it, wouldn't they? They would have to follow you around, wouldn't they?"

_That means only one person could be the suspect_, James thought angrily. Of course, it just _had_ to be the greasiest person in Hogwarts to dirty up the precious Invisiblity Cloak.

Sirius growled loudly. "Then the thief must go the name of Snivellus Snape. He's the only one who's stupid enough to not take a hint that we don't like to be followed. Jamie-Boy, we have a major prank to plan."

* * *

><p><em>The nerve of that git! How dare he! How dare he take my family heirloom! <em>James thought, fuming all the way down the Great Hall. That slimy moron was signing his own death warrant the moment he had laid his greasy hands on James' precious cloak.

He and Sirius were planning the most elaborate prank they could think of, with their sole targets being Snape and the rest of the Slytherins. The only nagging thought was that so much of it relied on chance and Snape's willingness to get even with the Marauders.

"Ready?" whispered Sirius as they crouched, unseen, behind a statue of Baggon the Batty.

James glared at Snape who was sitting next to Mulciber. "If you ask me that one more time, I'll tie you up and gag you. I'm starting to think that you're stalling."

Sirius smirked and waved his wand at the group of Slytherins fighting over a piece of apple pie. James only had to wait ten seconds before Sirius' spell took effect.

"What in the name of Merlin?" Mulciber yelped as his food transformed into miniature instruments that looked like they belonged in a Muggle symphony. They wheeled around the table, jumping on Slytherins' hair and robes, but the instruments managed to evade the slapping hands.

The chaos quickly spread, the blaring noises startling students at all four tables, although Slytherin was the only House to be targeted.

A tuba unleashed a thunderous blast of sound right in Snape's face, causing him to fall backwards off the bench. Several trumpets and French horns took up a blaring melody that could have served as screams from horror movies. They chased the Slytherins all around the Great Hall, honking distasteful tunes which were eerily close to resembling a ghost's Deathday party orchestra.

"YOU!" Snape yelled, pointing a finger at James and Sirius who were standing just outside the doorway, laughing at his predicament. A piccolo tweeted a note almost so high that only bats could hear it straight into Snape's ear, and he leaped back a meter with a hand clutching his ear painfully.

"Phase one: complete," James snickered, amusingly watching Avery batting at some flying clarinets playing Beethoven.

"C'mon," said Sirius, and the two of the them strode away, purposefully being noticeable to Snape and his cronies.

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

"But Professor, why would the Ministry want to do that?" Lily asked, concentrating on the desk she was supposed to be reducing to rubble with the Reductor Curse, a new curse Rawlings had said came up in OWL year.

"Because the Minister is a politician, and they love their word games," answered Rawlings, scowling. "Minister Leach has been putting the safety of the world, both wizard and Muggle, aside for the sake of reelection. Anything he does is to hold power."

"He can't be that heartless, can he?" Lily asked, managing to shake the desk, and tiny flakes of dust fell off with a weaker Reductor Curse than she would have liked.

"Ms. Evans, you're thirteen years old and naïve. There are many people who have done the unimaginable for stupid reasons. That's why it's up to Dumbledore and my fellow- other people to prepare everybody for what's coming."

"The _Prophet _isn't making it easy, is it?"

Rawlings' laugh was sharply cutting for her. "Everything is backwards: people believe things that are false, and the Ministry is making things more difficult for the Dark wizards, unknowingly or not."

"Is there anything that anybody is doing?" asked Lily hopelessly. She wasn't expecting an answer, but Rawlings still did with a wry curl to her bright red lips.

"It's too early for a third year like you to do much right now. Dumbledore's been doing some things, and I was working with a couple of other people before I started teaching. If you want to help, practice. You'll do no good out there if you can't effectively block an attack and protect other people."

Lily nodded fervently, and tried the Reductor Curse again.

* * *

><p>"They're coming," said Peter breathlessly. "I just saw them leave the common room, and they look like they're out for revenge."<p>

"Good," said James cockily. Phase two was flowing as smoothly as he could have hoped.

"Are you sure this will work?" asked Remus, frowning. "What if they come with the cloak?"

James abruptly stopped dead. Idiot! Why hadn't he considered that? Of course the slippery Slytherins would want to get payback with the most payback-useful item they had, stolen or not.

"Well I-"

_Bang!_

A window above James unexpectedly burst with a flash of orange light. The fine powdered glass floated down to the floor and landed softly while bigger shards dropped dangerously close to Sirius. Peter squealed in terror and ran for cover behind the nearest suit of armor, and Remus instinctively threw his hands up over his face.

"Surrender, James Potter, and you might be spared less pain," said a ghostly voice that echoed all around the corridor. James' senses were on full power now, but the sneaky Slytherins had made it so the voice seemed to echo all around the corridors, making it impossible to pinpoint where they were.

Phase two: completely and totally messed up.

Peter squeaked, and James, with all of his insane ideas, suddenly saw an opening.

"Who are you?" he asked fearfully, hoping that his friends would catch on quickly.

"You know who we are. _Stupefy!_"

The jet of red light flew out of nowhere, and James only just managed to avoid the Stunning Spell which crashed into a painting of a mother and her baby. The mother started screaming obscenities at everything while holding her baby protectively against her chest as soon as she was in the next painting of some old warlocks playing chess; the warlocks were out of their own painting the moment the mother was visible.

James whirled around. They were hiding under his father's Invisibility Cloak, his _family's_ Cloak. Something snapped in James at the idea of some stinking Slytherins using the Cloak against him. It was just wrong.

"Unfortunately for you, you can't do anything about it," said the ghostly voice. If James had to venture a guess as to who was talking, he would have assumed Mulciber.

James turned towards Mulciber's voice, and the strangest thing happened: he could see the faintest disturbance in the air, the slightest disruption. He felt an instinctive tug towards the shimmer, like his Invisibility Cloak was calling to him. James knew that he shouldn't be able to see anything under the Cloak, but the inner feeling was impossible to describe. He just _knew_ where the Slytherins were.

"What makes you think that you'll be able to fool the Marauders?" asked James, wandering towards Mulciber, hoping that the Slytherins were thick enough to buy his bewildered act.

Somebody laughed. "We already have."

_Wrong,_ thought James.

"_Pertr-_"

"_Expluso!_" he yelled, and his Blasting Charm flew through the air towards the shimmer, and the small explosion was enough to knock the Slytherins out from under the Cloak.

Avery went flying towards the same portrait of the girl that he had been knocked out under in first year, courtesy of Evans and her undeniably powerful Knockback Jinx. Mulciber was unlucky enough to have Snape slammed right against him, and the two of them together went tumbling away unconscious.

Sirius stepped over the stirring Mulciber and said viciously, "Serves you right, you little piece of slim, for messing with the Marauders."

James strode towards the silvery cloak lying next to Mulciber and scooped it up, relishing the reunion with flowing fabric.

"Wait," said Remus. "_Gemino_."

A new, identical cloak appeared, and Remus muttered a charm that James couldn't hear. The fake cloak disappeared, and Remus laid it over Mulciber; the cloak was barely visible.

"Remind me again, Remus. What are we trying to do?" Sirius asked skeptically as he eyed Mulciber's phony copy of James' Cloak.

Remus rolled his eyes. "If they have the Cloak, they'll automatically know that we have it, and all future pranks are ruined, but if they have a copy, they'll think that we're just as clueless as they actually are."

"Brilliant," said James, "But it's not smart to give them their own Invisibility Cloak."

Remus' lips quirked into a wicked smile. "I never said that it would work."

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

"I would say that's enough for today," said Rawlings lightly, hopping down from her perch on a bookshelf where she had been giving Lily tips. It struck her again just how young Rawlings really was as Lily watched her nimble movements; it was hard to believe that with all her expertise and knowledge, she was only twenty.

"Is it always so hard with this spell?" asked Lily wistfully, looking down at her adored willow wand. "I mean, everybody just makes it look so easy."

Rawlings smiled sadly at her protégé. "Ms. Evans, you have an amazing ability for magic, much more than most wizards, pure-blooded or not. It will come soon enough."

"But I just want to help people in the fight that's coming. How am I supposed to be useful if I can't perform a simple Reductor Curse?"

"Like I said: it will come soon enough. You're aptitude for spells usually heightens when you're under stress or feeling a particularly strong emotion. It's odd, but the possibilities in a battle, when you're terrified for not just yourself but for the person next to you, are infinite. Most wizards and witches have a set amount of power, varying a small amount. You're different."

Lily lowered her head, embarrassed. She traced the vine pattern on her wand, fingering the lilies and leaves lightly. "What does that mean?"

"That if you keep practicing, nobody will stand a chance if they've threatened you or somebody you love," said Rawlings, encouraging.

She nodded shyly in response and ducked out of the door, but not before Rawlings called her back.

"One moment, please."

Lily faced her teacher and was shocked by her expression. It was tender and sad, but Lily got the feeling that Rawlings wasn't reminiscing on something in the past. She braced herself for whatever Rawlings was going to tell her.

"You must think hard about what you want to get into. There are things out there that make Stoughton's murder look like child's play. That kind of thing happens on a daily basis."

Lily bit her lip uncertainly. "So you don't want me to help?"

Rawlings shook her head. "I want you to know how difficult it is. Every second you're out there, you could be tortured and killed, but that's not even the worst part. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions, like who's life you should save or whether it is worth the cause for you to die."

"You're speaking from experience," said Lily simply, realizing that Rawlings' words were more than just repeated sentences from a speech.

A brief flash of something crossed Rawlings' perfect face: terror or grief, Lily couldn't tell.

"Just be careful, Lily."

**Thanks to lynnnnyl, Irinapple, Sarahrules336, and alcatluvr13 for the reviews. I send you a dozen mental hugs and kisses. Can't tell you how happy it made me to finally see some reviews.**

**I'll respond to all reviews I get.**

**If any of you are wondering about James and the Invisiblity Cloak: I didn't think that a Deathly Hallow would let somebody use it to curse its owner without putting up a fight. I know that Harry couldn't see other people beneath the Cloak, but they weren't using it so obviously against him, the rightful owner, if that makes any sense. If it doesn't or you don't like it, oh well.**

**So what do you people think? Come on, please REVIEW! I dare you readers to get at least five reviews for this chapter, and just shoot off any questions or comments you have. Like I said before, I'll respond to them.**

**Your begging Muggle,**

**This-Nerd-Needs-At-Least-12-Reviews**


	22. Change of Scenery

**Change of Scenery **

_Lily POV_

"First Hogsmeade visit today," sang Alice, yanking open Lily's hangings with a flourish of her wand.

"ALICE!" Lily yelled as the sunlight streamed through the clear windows and hit her tired eyes. Lily squinted, pained by the sudden pain of the sun. She could just see the blurry black outline of Alice standing over her.

"Sorry, but it's the first Hogsmeade visit!" Alice said, as if it completely excused her rude awakening.

"I don't care! Give me two more hours," moaned Lily. "What time is it?"

"Ten. Everybody's leaving in one hour for Hogsmeade," said Alice, now prodding Lily's bare shoulder with her finger.

Lily growled and reached for her wand, but it wasn't there. "Where's my wand?" she asked, worry now erasing her sleep.

"Relax, you little redhead, it's right here," said Marlene. She was now standing beside Alice and holding a familiar stick of wood in her hand.

Lily gritted her teeth. "Why would you take my wand? And I'm not little!"

"Because waking you up on a weekend is the most dangerous thing besides being an Auror, and you're still half a foot away from five feet. You're shorter than Alice."

"Hey!"

"4'10'' is not half a foot shorter," complained Lily, but Marlene ignored her and was now pointing her own wand at Lily.

"All right, all right, I'm going. Where's Mary?"

"She thought it would be safer to be away from you during Operation: Get Lily Out of Bed,"

"She's the only smart one of you bunch," Lily muttered angrily.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Lily-Flower! You're finally up," said Black, grinning brightly at the sight of a disheveled Lily fresh out of the shower in a Gryffindor sweatshirt, dark blue jeans, and wet hair that smelled like vanilla.<p>

"Don't talk to me," she growled. Marlene had still refused to give Lily her wand until her friends were 100% sure she wouldn't curse them.

"Well aren't you a little ray of sunshine this fine morning?" smirked Potter, coming up to Black's side.

"Don't call me little!" said Lily, finally spotting Mary sitting alone at the breakfast table, eating some French toast.

She was off as fast as she could go without attracting too much attention, but not before she heard Potter whisper, "What's wrong with the truth?"

What was it? Piss Off Lily Day?

"Hello, Mary," said Lily as she sat down across Mary, now moving on to a biscuit while Lily helped herself to some bacon.

"You're up early," noted Mary with a knowing smile that told Lily she was just joking.

"Marlene, Alice, Potter, and Black. All they do is tick me off."

"Nobody wanted you to miss the first Hogsmeade visit, Lily. Besides, once you've been up for at least an hour, you'll be thanking us."

Lily sighed in defeat. "I get it, but I just don't like being woken up on a weekend."

"Yeah, I figured that out on the first weekend of school in first year," Mary replied, popping a bit of grapefruit into her mouth.

"Are you finally back to normal?" Marlene asked as she and Alice joined the two other girls at the Gryffindor table.

"Yes. Now can I please have my wand back?" inquired Lily sweetly, holding her hand expectantly.

Marlene gave her a calculating stare. "Are you out of your just-out-of-bed mood?"

"Yes. Can I have it back now?"

Marlene heaved a dramatic sigh. "I suppose…" She placed the wand in Lily's wand. A couple gold sparks flew from the end as Lily smiled happily at the comforting feeling of the warm wood.

"Thanks, Marley!" Lily said, and she felt a tiny bit of satisfaction at Marlene's annoyance.

"Okay, I deserved that."

"Yes, you did."

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

James winced uncomfortably as Filch prodded him with a Secrecy Sensor, but Filch's delight was evident.

"Teach you four about messing with Filch," he said gleefully.

"I wasn't even aware that you were trying," said Sirius in James' defense. "James, did you know anything about a caretaker trying to catch us?"

James smirked and played along with pleasure. "No, Sirius, I didn't. Must not be very smart. Then again, that's expected if you're trying to catch people sneaking things _out _when you should be more worried about what people sneak _in_."

Filch snarled and gave both of them an extra-vicious prod with the Secrecy Sensor, leaving them to hobble away.

"What?" Sirius snapped as they finally got to an empty carriage waiting to take everybody to Hogsmeade.

Remus shook his head, and couldn't hide his smirk. "I would have thought even you two wouldn't have wanted to annoy Filch when he had the power to prod you where the sun doesn't shine."

James paled.

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

"Look! Honeydukes is right up there," Alice said excitedly. She grabbed Mary's arm and dragged her up the street to a little shop that released such an intoxicating smell, Lily's feet were pulling her towards Honeydukes with a mind of their own.

"We should visit Three Broomsticks. I heard Madam Rosmerta just became the owner since her mother retired as the barmaid. Maybe we can get her to sell us some firewhiskey. And Zonko's Joke Shop! We _have_ to go there. They have enough pranking items to fulfill even the Marauders' wildest…"

Alice continued to spurt out random pieces of information as the bell above Honeydukes tinkered when they entered the crowded sweetshop. Dorcas was tasting a weird-looking lollipop with Elena Smith, and they both spluttered in disgust and started laughing.

"Ooh! Ice Mice! You have to taste those, Lily. Oh my Merlin, look at that barrel of Bertie Bott's," Alice said, pointing out an enormous crate the size of a hippogriff. Some older Ravenclaw were each filling a bag with random pieces.

"Mary, dare you to try this," snickered Marlene, leading the other three girls to a shelf labeled _Unusual Tastes_. She held up something that looked suspiciously like an extra- green Acid Pop.

"No way! I prefer my tongue without a great sizzling hole in it, thanks," said Mary, horrified that Marlene would even do such a thing. "An Extra-Strength Acid Pop? Tell me you were joking."

"Are those Chocoballs?" Alice asked to nobody in particular, wandering away to big pieces of chocolate that were levitating a few feet off the ground.

* * *

><p>"Can we please get to Three Broomsticks," whined Peter as the Marauders exited Zonko's Joke Shop with their pockets full of Dungbombs and Stink Pellets. Peter's nose was still red from the time Sirius had tricked Peter into drinking some pumpkin juice from a Nose-Biting Teacup.<p>

James shivered as a gust of cold October air blew through the air. The temperature was steadily dropping as the sun started to sink in the horizon. "We have forty-five minutes until the trip's over, and I don't see why not."

Sirius shrugged. "Fine. Let's see if the barmaid is as attractive as everybody says she is."

The four boys trudged through the streets of Hogsmeade with little difficulty; Peter only tripped once. The number of Hogwarts students was dwindling as some got tired from the trip and had already headed up to the castle.

"Excuse us," said Remus as a couple of warlocks had decided to stand in the doorway to the crowded Three Broomsticks.

"Sorry," one warlock said gruffly. They shuffled out of the way, and the Marauders entered the crowded bar. The few Hogwarts students remaining were huddled in booths.

A couple of sixth year Hufflepuffs were crowded playing a game with cards that one of them was trying to explain. James guessed the boy was a Muggle-born since none of the cards were doing anything particularly interesting, like say, exploding in one's face, which one of his friends was annoyed about.

A Ravenclaw and a Slytherin were holding hands and leaning towards one another. James did a double-take; it was an unspoken rule that Slytherins dated nobody except in their own house, but the couple was clearly the minority. Other people were also staring at them, and Sirius even went so far as to make a gagging motion when the Slytherin leaned forward to kiss the Ravenclaw girl.

A trill of bright laughter reached James' ears, and he turned to see the familiar dark red of Lily's hair. She was chatting with her friends. Alice leaned in to whisper something and all four burst out in laughter. McKinnon said something to Macdonald, and they glanced over at a couple of Ravenclaws sitting at a booth a little farther away.

"James!" said Sirius.

"Sorry. What?"

"I asked if you wanted Butterbeer or Gillywater," Sirius reiterated, brief suspicion crossing his features.

"Butterbeer, definitely," said James as they took a seat. When James looked up from his spot, he saw that he had a perfect view of Lily, who was looking unusually pretty in the light of the sinking sun.

"So," said Sirius, now leaning forward so that nobody else could overhear the conversation. "Once the potion gets brewing, we should start practicing the spells. The procedure says that when you perform the spell, you'll be able to transform into an animal briefly, but the potion is needed to cement the transformation so you can willingly change into the animal and back without the need for the wand or incantation."

"Yes, yes, we've been over this. How will you know when you're ready to take the potion?" asked Remus.

"When you can finally transform fully into whatever animal you'll turn into."

"ALICE!" three girls yelled loud enough for the entire bar to fall quiet and stare at them. Alice glanced at everybody and blushed while Lily had a hard time containing her giggles.

"What?" she challenged the room at large. "Like you haven't told your cousin's husband he would give all the kids red hair so they'll have the dreaded name, 'Carrot-Top'."

Lily leaned forward to whisper something else. There was a renewed round of giggles, and Alice smirked and replied. Marlene gave her a diva-like questioning look, but Mary was thoroughly confused.

"Women, you'll never understand them," said Sirius solemnly, shaking his head in defeat.

"What can I get you today?" Madam Rosmerta, the attractive and curvy barmaid, said as she stood by their table.

Sirius winked at her. "I think I'll have a firewhiskey and-"

"Legal drinks only," said Rosmerta, but James detected a hint of amusement in her eyes.

Sirius pouted. "But Rosmerta, dear, couldn't you just forget the rule for one day and let us have a little fun?"

Rosmerta showed a dimple as she giggled at Sirius. "I'm sorry, Mr…"

"Sirius Black, but you can call me Sirius," said Sirius, winking at her; she was hardly unfazed, and James thought that she probably got all sorts of people at Three Broomsticks and knew how to deal with them.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Black, but I'm not about to sell firewhiskey to somebody who is still years from graduating."

"Just a little bit?" asked James while Sirius pleaded Rosmerta with large, grey puppy eyes; it was remarkable how much he looked like an actual puppy when he did that.

"And this person here is my best mate, Jaime Potter!" he said loudly after failing to convince Rosmerta. Sirius clapped James on the shoulder.

"Just James," said James.

Rosmerta laughed once more before saying, "I'll get you four Butterbeers, boys."

Remus was now shaking his head at both Sirius and James. "You'll never learn, will you?"

* * *

><p>"Such a shame," pouted Sirius, glancing back at Three Broomsticks. "She was so pretty, too."<p>

"She's older than Rawlings," Remus pointed out, and James frowned.

"Yes, but Rawlings looks our age."

"She's twenty."

"But she looks six," Peter piped up, "Though that didn't stop her from kicking both your asses in a duel."

James flushed with embarrassment at the reminder of their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Rawlings. "We learned our lesson, okay: looks can be deceiving."

"I still thinks she's secretly fond of us," said Sirius haughtily. "It's only a matter of time before she lets us drink anything we want."

"Four years to be exact," Remus said, amused by Sirius' banter with Rosmerta.

"Maybe, but I'm telling you, Remus…"

James tuned out to Sirius' comments about Rosmerta and firewhiskey. It had been so weird to see Lily just laughing and having a good time. He knew that she did, but most of the time he saw her, she was either glaring at him or focused on schoolwork, something he didn't want to understand. As much as James hated to admit it, his rival could be very charismatic even if she didn't realize it.

"You got away from us once, but you won't do it again," Mulciber's voice said from out of the blue, very loud and clear against the wind.

James snapped his head up at the sound, his wand already out and ready. Sirius and Remus were right behind him. Only Peter wasn't ready to fight; he just squealed and cowered behind Remus.

"Scared of a little payback?" Mulciber's voice said mockingly.

Sirius snorted by James' side. "You wish."

Something caught James' eye: a translucent cloak covering what looked like two or three people. It was easy enough to clearly see where they were, unlike the time when they had stolen his family's Invisibility Cloak. Remus certainly had been a genius when he had given them a cloak that wouldn't work.

The cloak moved towards them, and Sirius gave a dog-like bark of laughter when he saw the it.

"You three are so stupid. _Stupefy!_" Sirius yelled, and the jet of red sailed through the air to where the Slytherins were standing. Avery had been the unfortunate recipient of Sirius' Stunner, and he went flying, crashing into a wooden crate that didn't smell very pleasant.

Snape and Mulciber had seemed to realize that their cloak didn't work as well as they originally thought it would and abandoned it, finally revealing to Hogsmeade just how greasy Snape's hair was.

"_Pertrificus Totalus!_" James yelled, pointing at Snape; he ducked and fired his own hex at James who dodged it with his Quidditch reflexes.

"_Conjunctivo!_" Mulciber yelled, and his curse hit Peter who wailed and clutched his face.

"_Expelliarmus,_" James said, flicking his wand almost lazily, and he caught Mulciber's wand with his left while keeping his own mahogany wand trained on him with his right.

"Potter! What do you think you are doing?" yelled an angry voice from farther away.

James jumped and saw Lily glaring at him. Her own wand was out and pointed solely at James.

He realized how it must have looked: James and Sirius both cursing Snape, two against one while Mulciber and Avery were defenseless.

"Look, Evans, it's not-"

"Leave Sev alone," she said tightly, and James felt a flash of irritation, not at Lily for interrupting their battle, but at Snape for his hold over Lily. Couldn't she see what he really was like?

"They attacked first," Sirius insisted almost childishly.

"Maybe, but if it was just that then you wouldn't have continued after Sev was the only one left. Come on, Sev. Let's get out of here," Lily said, helping her friend to her feet. Snape gratefully took her hand, and James' previous anger returned as he watched the two of leave.

"What in the name of Merlin does she see in him?" James asked Sirius.

He just shrugged, unable to answer.

"Black, please tell me that Lily's assumptions are wrong," Marlene said, for she, Mary, and Alice were finally in earshot after exiting the Three Broomsticks with a piece of chocolate clutched in Mary's hand.

"They attacked first," Sirius insisted yet again.

Meanwhile, Alice was glaring at the direction that Lily and Snape had gone. "Too bad for you, but I don't think she'll ever see that for a long time."

Maybe James was still a little confused after the surprise attack, or maybe he was just angry at the Slytherins as a whole, but something about Alice's words bothered him.

**Okay, not my best chapter, but I would really appreciate it if you could review. Maybe even get in three reviews for the chappie?**

**Don't you just love those days when your parents are at work, your brother refuses to get out of bed, and you get to lounge around and do absolutely nothing except eat, breathe, wash your face, and brush your teeth? *sigh***

**Anyways, review review, review! I love feedback, comments, and questions.**

**Your lazy Muggle,**

**12-Nerds-Turned-Lazy-Geeks**


	23. From Sticking to Falling Apart

**From Sticking to Falling Apart**

_Lily POV_

"You do realize that you just have to make up some stuff, and Gammon will give you full credit anyways," said Marlene, plopping down next to Mary and Lily who had been busy interpreting some tea leaves, and helping herself to some steak.

"Thank you, Marlene. I had no idea," said Lily sarcastically; they had been discussing whether Mary's cup looked more like a bird or the state of Wisconsin.

"Alice, are you sure that you don't know what it is?" Lily asked, but Alice's attention was elsewhere.

"Alice? Alice!"

"What?" Alice asked, finally dragging her eyes away from a handsome Gryffindor who was sitting a little farther away who Lily guessed was in fourth year. She had seen him a couple time, mostly whenever Alice was caught staring at him.

"I asked you what you thought it was," Lily repeated.

"It's a blob," Alice said simply, now peeking over Mary's shoulder.

"That blob is my homework, so don't mess it up," said Mary with her frown close to being permanently etched into her face as she carefully studied the blob.

"I can guess what it means: you won't be able to figure out what it means, so you should stop being Psychic Mary and start eating," Marlene commented airily, eating a juicy bit of her steak for emphasis.

"Aren't you the jokester?" Mary said, finally looking up from the teacup. "Speaking of which, did you ever find out who sent you that prank Valentine's Day card? You know, the one that squirted- was it pixie piss? Are you ever going to get even?"

Marlene glared at Black who was sitting farther down the table, and Lily didn't need a crystal ball to know that an idea had just fallen into Marlene's head; a pretty good one at that.

"Hey, everybody!" she yelled, standing up on the Gryffindor table for everybody in the Great Hall to see. People, some curious, others annoyed, turned in their seats to listen to Marlene. Lily noticed some teachers shifting in their own seats. Marlene wasn't one of the Marauders, so they didn't know what she was doing.

"Sirius Black is offering a snog session to the girl who sends him the most outrageous card in one hour. Owls aren't allowed, so you'll have to figure out a way for the card to get to him without giving it to him in person. He may say he doesn't want it, but I did the same thing, and last night in the Astronomy tower was amazing." Here, Marlene paused to give Black a wicked grin, "Think of it as an early Valentine's Day card."

Marlene sat down in her seat, and starting eating again like she hadn't done anything out of the ordinary while many girls whispered and shot Black longing looks.

Lily glanced down to where Black was glowering at Marlene, and Potter tapped his shoulder, saying something. Black growled and glared at Potter who seemed to find the entire thing entertaining.

* * *

><p>Needless to say, the next hour was very amusing to Lily as she watched card after card haunt Black who was trying to make his way to the common room without being bombarded by cards.<p>

It amazed Lily how soon the girls were able to charm cards to sing shrilly, float along blowing kisses, throw Chocolate Frogs at him, and magically appear in his pants. Black, once eager for attention, was now avoiding every girl that was half-interested in a decent snog. He hid behind doors and tapestries, and once or twice, Lily saw a card enter what looked like shortcuts that the Marauders most likely found out first year.

Marlene was very happy as they walked to the Fat Lady. Every time she caught sight of a card, she sniggered and picked up her pace ever so slightly.

"Teach Sirius Black from sending me a piss-squirting Valentine," she said happily, and Lily privately thought that Black had learned his lesson and much more, maybe too much.

* * *

><p>"If you would all open your books to page 74, you will see we are beginning the unit of the number 2. Please choose a partner and write an essay about each century's interpretations of that number. It will be due Monday." Professor Vector smiled warmly at everybody.<p>

Lily was really starting to like Arithmancy. It was something that didn't use magic but logic, which she enjoyed. Professor Vector had given them a syllabus for all of third year which was straightforward: Learn the meanings behind the basic numbers which were 0 through 12.

"Lily, do you mind if we pair up?" Severus scooted closer to Lily and unfolded his number chart.

"I was going to ask the same thing." Lily smiled as Mary left to partner up with Remus. Severus was the only Slytherin in their year to take Arithmancy, which meant the other people did usually not choose him. He smiled gratefully as Lily piled her books on top of one another to make room for him.

"Listen, the Hogsmeade date is coming up," he said.

"I saw that on the bulletin board in the common room. Do you want to look in the book for the 1800's interpretation?"

"What? Oh, yes." For a moment, Severus seemed to forget that they were in class. "I was just wondering who you were going with." Lily noticed the forcefulness behind his tone.

"Alice, Mary, and Marlene. We were going to have some girl time for shopping. What did Gregory Johannes say about being born in February?"

Severus scowled at the mention of Lily's friends, and Lily fell right back into the routine. "Alice is one of my best friends, Sev. I'm going to spend time with her because there are some things I can talk to her about that would be much more difficult to talk to you about."

"But you're _my_ friend, Lils. You can talk to me about anything."

"No, Sev, I can't." She saw that expression of shock and hurt cross Severus's face and felt guilt pour forward.

Lily leaned forward to check the book, but found that her head had jerked back, preventing any more forward movement. She tugged at her ponytail that was stuck to the back of her seat. It didn't budge.

Whirling around, she saw Potter and Black roaring with laughter at her. Remus sat beside them, clearly as surprised as Lily was, and gave her an apologetic glance. Mary looked up from the sheet both she and Remus were working on and frowned at Severus.

"What did you do to her, Potter?" Severus spat at the Marauders.

Potter held up his hands. "Whatever we say won't change anything, no matter what spell you try."

Lily groaned. She knew which charm Potter and Black had used, and it was a new low for them. "Did you seriously use a Permanent Sticking Charm on my hair?"

Black grinned crazily. "Of course we Siriusly used it."

Potter burst out into very noisy sniggers. "I think you'll look better with short hair."

Lily growled, and moved to get up, but the Permanent Sticking Charm held her back. That only caused Potter and Black to roar with laughter at the hilarity of the situation.

"What on earth is going on?" Professor Vector appeared beside them.

"They used a Permanent Sticking Charm on Lily's hair, sir," Severus said at once.

"Detention, Potter and Black. My office, tonight," Professor Vector said in an authoritative voice. She flicked his wand, and a pair of scissors appeared out of thin air. They snipped Lily's hair as close to the chair as they could, but Lily still got the paranoid feeling that her hair was at least several inches shorter.

Severus put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Lily grumbled while shooting daggers at Potter and Black.

* * *

><p>"So he just turns to me and says I look better with shorter hair!" Lily yelled, desperate to vent of her frustration. <em>Why<em> did Potter of all people infuriate her so much?

Alice placed her hand on Lily's arm in an attempt to calm her down. "Maybe this is his way of showing that he likes you. Boys have been known to be stupid."

"He's just so…_gah_!" Lily shook her hands in anger.

"Have a sip of Butterbeer, sweetie." Marlene pushed the hot drink into Lily's hand.

"What were you and Snape talking about in Arithmancy before Potter and Black so rudely interrupted you?" Mary piped up.

Lily shrugged. "He wanted to know who I was going with to Hogsmeade. He didn't like that I wasn't spending as much time with him today." Lily paused. "Speaking of which, I'm surprised you're here and not with Remus, Mary."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mary squeaked, blushing a deep red that put the Chinese Fireball to shame.

The three other girls started giggling.

"I saw you two getting cozy during Arithmancy, Mary. Don't deny it," Lily snickered. A feeling of enjoyment washed through her. It was soothing to joke about Mary and whichever was her schoolgirl crush at the time.

"So when's the date?" Marlene teased, "Am I your Maid of Honor?"

"I don't know for me, but James and Lily's will be in August," Mary said and smirked across the table at Lily.

"Mary!" Lily cried, a bright crimson appearing on her cheeks. "If you're going to talk like that, at least don't forget Marlene's Vegas wedding with Sirius."

"Hey! We don't even like each other," Marlene shouted, much to the amusement of Lily, Alice, and Mary. The giggles soon erupted into fits of laughter.

"Seriously," Lily said, "What about that fourth year in Gryffindor, Frank Longbottom," she said to Alice.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

Lily smiled with a mischievous glint in her eyes that Alice knew. "You stare at him during dinner all the time, and you're trying to insult our intelligence by telling us you don't like him."

"It's nothing. He's cute is all."

"Right…"

Mary yelped suddenly while Lily, Alice, Marlene jumped and stared at her, but Mary wasn't paying any attention. She clamped her hands over her forehead and wailed in what was obviously pain.

"Mary! Mary, talk to us, sweetie!" Marlene yelled, cradling Mary in her arms.

Somewhere, Lily could hear laughter. She stood up and whipped her head around, looking for the source. Lily didn't have to search far to see Rosier and Avery doubled over and shaking.

Lily didn't give a second thought to what would happen if she got into a fight with Avery. Fury at the young Slytherin wiped all conscious thoughts from her head. "_Stupefy!_" Lily screamed, whipping out her wand. The jet of red light issued from her wand and shot at them. Avery heaved Rosier out of the way and together, they took off running.

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"You didn't have to use a Permanent Sticking Charm on her hair, James," Remus said as the four Marauders strolled along the cold streets in Hogsmeade.

"Relax, it was just a bit of fun."

"A _Permanent_ Sticking Charm on a girl's hair. It's like turning Sirius's lovely locks green for a week to match the Slytherins when they're playing us in Quidditch."

"Oi! You leave my lovely locks out of this, Moony!"

Remus coughed purposefully. "What did you call me?"

Sirius grinned. "Like your new name? We were all going to get a nickname once the Animagi transformations were complete."

"We were?" Peter asked. "But what if we don't succeed."

James rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Pete -don't say anything, Sirius!- do you have that little faith in our abilities?"

"Shhh! Someone might hear you," Remus said. "You said you would only look into it, James. Not that you would attempt before school ends."

"I said we would look into it and then try the transformations. I didn't say when."

Remus sighed. "What's happened so far in the library?"

"Lots of work, a couple hundred books, several thousand headaches, and some painful boils," Sirius said promptly.

"The boils were from the second year Slytherin you hexed," James reminded him.

"Scratch the boils. You get the idea, Remus?"

"And there is nothing I can say that will change it?" Remus asked tentatively.

"Nope," Sirius replied with a pop on the p.

"For the last time, we're doing this whether you like it or not, Remus," James declared adamantly.

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

"Listen, Lily, I never knew that would happen," Severus repeated for the millionth time that day.

"They're your friends, Sev! I don't understand how they could do all the stuff, and you would never notice." Lily demanded, fuming. Mary had been fine after Avery and Rosier had left, but Lily would not soon forgive the pain Avery and Rosier had caused her.

"I don't follow them around. Why do you even care?"

Lily skidded to a halt and stared at Severus. "Why do- are you kidding me? I refuse to sit back and watch innocent Muggle-borns, let alone Mary, one of my _friends_, get attacked for who their parents are. Who knows, the next victim could be me!" The emphasis on friends was very clear, and Severus winced.

"They won't attack you, Lily. I've made sure of it."

Lily laughed without humor, and she noticed Severus cringe slightly at her rare coldness. "And that is supposed to make it okay to me? Do you honestly think that I wouldn't mind if they just left me alone?"

"I just wanted to keep you happy," Severus tried to reason with her, but he just made everything worse.

"Yeah, it's die-hard hilarious when Mary gets attacked while she's not expecting it. How the hell is that supposed to make me happy? I'm not a Death Eater, Sev, and I don't enjoy pain anymore than the next decent person."

Severus flinched. "I didn't know they would do that. You know me, Lily! How can you not believe your best friend?"

Lily opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out. More than anything, she wanted to believe her childhood friend, but she didn't know if he was worthy of that trust anymore.

"I swear, Severus. You better not be lying to me," Lily hissed. She knew Severus was in fact lying, but Lily hated that her friend was disappearing. Hopefully, another chance would allow the old Severus to show. At least, that's what Lily spent the remainder of her day trying to convince herself of.

**REVIEW! Speacial thanks to Sarahrules336, Sammy-U, and alcatluvr13 for the reviews :) Hugs and kisses to you all.**

**Your typing in pajamas Muggle,**

**Nerds-Of-The-PJ-Worlds**


	24. The Patronus Charm

**The Patronus Charm**

_Lily POV_

**_Dementor attack confirmed:_**

_For over a year, it has been relatively quiet in Britain when it comes to certain pure-bloods challenging the Ministry, but it may not be all that it seems._

_Just after midnight of May 15th, Genevieve Darlington, an employee of St. Mungo's, heard screams when she had Apparated back to her flat twenty miles from Cokeworth. Ms. Darlington approached the area where the screams where coming from._

_A Dementor had attacked Muggle-born Harrison Forbs, a wizard who graduated from Hogwarts in 1971. Forbs had been visiting Muggle relatives when the Dementor attacked._

_Darlington called the Auror office immediately and the Aurors responded quickly._

_They Apparated to Darlington and Forbs where the two were holding off the Dementor but only barely._

_It was confirmed that the Dementor had tried to Kiss Forbs._

_The Ministry later claimed that no Dementors were missing from Azkaban asserted that it was one of the wild Dementors who have been known to occasionally attack Muggle towns._

"Dementors?" Alice repeated weakly.

Lily felt the blood drain from her face, fear gripping her.

Dementors.

The most despicable creatures to walk the earth were mere miles from her home in Cokeworth where her parents, Muggles, could feel the hopelessness and despair they caused, the coldness that was supposed to go wherever they were, even if they couldn't see them.

_*Flashback*_

_"Severus?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Tell me about the dementors again."_

_"What d'you want to know about them for?"_

_"If I use magic outside school – "_

_"They wouldn't give you to the dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You're not going to end up in Azkaban, you're too …"_

_*End Flashback*_

For people who do really bad stuff, not for Muggle-borns who are subjected to discrimination and prejudice by the more privileged pure-bloods.

"But that's crazy!" said Mary. "The wild Dementors have only attacked little Muggle towns far away from any town even hinted at being occupied by wizards and witches. They're usually really smart about that stuff."

Lily bit her lip, thinking back to what Rawlings had said when facing Dark wizards: they were ruthless and not above using inhumane means to achieve their goals. Was this one of them? Convincing the wild Dementors to join the Knights of Walpurgis or whatever they were calling themselves now.

* * *

><p>Rawlings' office door was closed, and there were no sounds or any signs of life from behind it. Lily sighed: Rawlings was quickly becoming one of her most trusted teachers, and Lily thought she could have made sense of the article.<p>

She walked back out of the classroom, discouraged.

"Ms. Evans?" asked a jolly voice that was slightly surprised.

Lily looked up to see a large belly with a head planted on top: Professor Slughorn. She smiled kindly at the professor. "Hello, sir. How are you?"

"Fine, fine," said Slughorn, waving a hand and chuckling good-naturedly. "Asking dear Sage about something?"

Lily blinked once before remembering that Rawlings' first name was Sage. "Yes, sir. Do you know where she is?" While Slughorn had always been kind to her, Lily was a little wary of the way he would completely ignore other people who didn't have as much talent that could be seen.

"Talking to Minerva, last I heard, m' dear."

"Thank you, Professor. I should probably go. I just need to ask her something," said Lily.

"Of course, Ms. Evans. By the way, I'm having a little get-together next weekend: would you be so kind as to bless us with your presence?"

Another party? Slughorn was going to run out of food soon enough, but Lily failed to see anything that could be gained by not going. After all, wasn't Slughorn always trying to make connections? It couldn't hurt to attend another one.

"I would love to, sir, but right now I have to find Professor Rawlings."

* * *

><p>"Sage, you know that Dumbledore doesn't want Dearborn doing that, but he says that there is nothing worse than having somebody you care about being ripped away from you. We'll be better to help Dearborn instead of hinder him," said McGonagall as Lily approached Professor McGonagall's office. There was an urgency in her voice that Lily had never heard before.<p>

"Yes, I know. That's why you need to talk to him and convince him that it's suicidal," said Rawlings.

Lily edged closer. Rawlings was never one to make light jokes about that kind of stuff.

"He wants revenge on Bellatrix for killing Jack," said McGonagall.

"But he'll get nowhere unless he stops and thinks for a moment."

Jack Stoughton? Her professor?

A vivid memory of blinding green light filled her mind. Bellatrix hadn't just killed Stoughton, she had murdered him in cold blood. Whoever Dearborn was, Lily hoped he would succeed; her only regret was not being able to avenge Stoughton herself.

"You were a Gryffindor as well, Sage. They were best friends; you know that you would do the exact same thing if it was Shiloh."

"Leave Shiloh out of this," said Rawlings in a deadly tone, sounding much more dangerous than Lily had ever thought possible. She sometimes forgot that Rawlings had already graduated from the Auror academy and had seen and maybe even done things in her life that had hardened her.

"You know as well as I that Caradoc is much more capable of handling himself, and Shiloh can't leave the house even if he wasn't under constant threat of being captured."

"I know that, Sage. Jack wasn't at Hogwarts for nothing. It was the only place he would be safe, which meant Shiloh was also safe."

"Yes, and I am deeply indebted to him for protecting Shiloh. Nobody knows where the house is except Shiloh, Darcie, and me now."

"Obviously, or otherwise You-Know-Who would have found it."

Rawlings sighed heavily. "Minerva, you know that you shouldn't say 'You-Know-Who'. Dumbledore says that fear of the name increases fear of the thing itself."

"Yes, yes, you don't have to tell me that."

"Dearborn will get himself killed. It's not like we have a goal planned out or something-"

"Yes, we do: kill Bellatrix," said McGonagall, a familiar determination in her words that only increased Lily's for one of her favorite teachers.

"Dearborn will have his better judgment clouded by his own desperation for vengeance. He has to have somebody tell him that he needs to stop and _think_."

"Sage, you must understand. Do not tell me you wouldn't do the same thing if it was Shiloh."

"Didn't I tell you to leave Shiloh-"

"Tell me that I'm right."

Rawlings didn't seem to have an answer.

Slowly and as quietly as she could, Lily backed away from McGonagall's office, her head reeling from the overheard conversation, the questions whirling around and around with no plausible answer Lily could come up with.

* * *

><p>"Well, you're certainly improving," said Rawlings as Lily managed to blast the fourth dummy Rawlings had conjured to dust with her much stronger Reductor Curse.<p>

"Professor?" Lily asked.

"Yes?"

"How do you repel Dementors?" she asked.

Rawlings spun on her heel. "Read the _Prophet_ article, have you?" she asked, but it was not a question; it was a confirmation that she didn't sound like she liked it.

Lily nodded silently, and Rawlings took a deep breath.

"As you know, Dementors are among the foulest creatures to walk this earth. Every good feeling, every happy memory, those are the Dementors source of energy, and they will be taken from you in flash.

"There is a certain charm one can use called the Patronus Charm, but it is one of the most difficult charms to ever master. Half of the trainees have been dropped from the Auror training program because they fail to produce one. I have no question as to your outstanding abilities, Ms. Evans, but I highly doubt a fourteen-year-old can conjure one. That's like asking a Muggle kindergartener to explain quantum physics to Harvard students."

Lily bit her lip. "The Dementor attack was close to my home, and I need to know how to defend myself," she said stubbornly.

Rawlings studied her closely, as if trying to determine if Lily had to potential power to produce a Patronus at such a young age.

"Well, I've been teaching the seventh years, but you must understand to probability of you successfully producing a Patronus is very unlikely."

"Yes, but I want to learn."

"Well…" said Rawlings slowly, an obvious battle raging in her head, "If you really think you need it, I don't suppose it could hurt."

"What does it look like?"

"Each Patronus is unique to the witch or wizard who conjures it. They are a reflection of the caster's inner soul, a kind of guardian that's protecting itself- if that makes sense."

"Can you show me?" Lily asked, eager to see Rawlings' Patronus.

Rawlings' lips twisted into a small smile. She lifted her wand and said, "_Expecto patronum._"

A silver tiger burst from the end of her wand, and it padded around the air, its paws inches from the ground, but the beauty of it distracted from anything else. Lily watched it until it dissolved.

"The incantation is not enough; you must choose a memory, the happiest memory you can. The Patronus is full of your happiness, but it can never feel misery, making it the perfect guardian against a Dementor. The strongest Patronuses are created with a loving memory, so really it's the power of your love and heart against hopelessness and misery."

Lily nodded and cast her mind around for a happy memory, but she had a hard time choosing one: the first time she found out she was a witch, the little outings with Severus in their own grove, meeting Alice for the first time, Petunia and her before she was a witch…

She settled on the last Christmas her family had had before everything happened, back when Petunia and her were the best of friends, inseparable even.

"Now speak, _expecto patronum_," Rawlings said gently, her words floating towards Lily and barely registering as Lily focused entirely on the Christmas day.

"_Expecto patronum, expecto patronum, expecto patronum…_" A weak silver wisp escaped her wand. "I did it!" Lily said excitedly.

"Very good," said Rawlings impressed. "It will be much harder with a Dementor near you, but try your best anyways."

"Don't you have a boggart that could turn into a Dementor or something?"

"No, but I think…" Rawlings hopped off the desk she had been sitting on, "That I might have a potion to imitate the Dementor's effects. I've been using it for my seventh years…"

Rawlings started rummaging around her office before producing a bottle full of a dark, tar-like substance.

"Aha!"

Lily reached out her hand for it, but Rawlings held it back. "One moment, Ms. Evans: are you sure you want to drink this. Dementors don't make Azkaban inmates go insane with just being scary in the black cloaks."

Lily nodded firmly. Besides, if she needed to learn the Patronus, she would need to know what it was like to be around a Dementor.

"It only lasts twenty seconds or so, but don't say I didn't warn you," Rawlings said before giving her the bottle.

Lily took it and, pausing only slightly, downed a gulp and nearly spat it back out; it was disgusting. It tasted like a moldy hunk of cheese mixed with rotten fish and vomit-flavored Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

Lily quickly forgot the taste as a penetrating cold pierced her skin to the bone, sending uncontrollable and violent spasms across her body. Hopelessness hung heavy in the air, and Lily wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and hide forever.

_"…you'll have to kill me."_

_"When will you ever learn? CRUCIO!"_

_Screams- torturous, chilling screeches of pure, unadulterated agony…_

"Lily! Lily!"

Blackness weighed in on Lily, crushing her. It was so terrible… the man's screams of pain- Stoughton's torture.

"Lily! Wake up!"

Rawlings was shaking her shoulder, and Lily fought the grogginess. It took a moment before she realized she was on the floor.

"I heard Stoughton. I heard the night Bellatrix was torturing him, the might she k-killed him," said Lily breathlessly.

"Jack?" Rawlings asked, an odd, closed expression on her face.

"I remember him saying 'you'll have to kill me'."

Lily was rambling now, but it was the first time she had ever talked about that night in detail. It was terrifying to relive that unforgivable night. If anybody had deserved to live that night, it should have been Stoughton. She was worthless to the world, but Stoughton was so brave and so… loved. He had so many people who loved him, that much was clear.

"He would," said Rawlings in a choked voice, like she was trying to hold back tears. "He was very brave."

Lily glanced at her teacher curiously. "Who was he protecting?"

Rawlings snapped her head up. "I don't know what you mean," she said sharply.

"He was protecting somebody. He said he was the Secret Keeper or something like that. Who was it?"

Rawlings pressed her lips together, but not a single tear managed to escape. "Somebody who must be kept hidden."

Shiloh.

Stoughton had been protecting a man named Shiloh, a person Rawlings obviously knew. It all made sense: Shiloh had needed protection from something or someone, and Stoughton was the reason he was protected, which was why Stoughton was at Hogwarts, the most difficult place to break into if you were an enemy of Albus Dumbledore.

Lily looked away. There were so many people whose lives Stoughton had affected, but Lily the one to escape.

"It should have been me," said Lily quietly.

"What?" Rawlings demanded in a cutting voice.

"Stoughton obviously touched a lot of people. He could have done so much more…"

"Lily Evans, Jack would have died again and again before letting a thirteen-year-old girl be killed as mercilessly as he had been. He died for a reason, and the most we can do is use the time he gave us to do something that would make him proud, like learning the Patronus Charm." Here, Rawlings offered her an encouraging smile. "You are one of the first people to drink that concoction. Most of the seventh years prefer to practice without the effects. Here."

Rawlings handed her a bit of chocolate, and an unexpected feeling of warmth spread to her toes. Her good memories were coming back.

"Is that what it's like? To stand by a Dementor?"

Rawlings' eyes darkened. "No, the real thing is much, much worse. The potion is the closest we can get to besides a boggart, but even that's pushing the lines as to what we can and can't give students to replicate certain things. You ready, or should we wait another day?"

Lily grimaced, and rose to her feet, gripping the willow wood so tightly that her knuckles were starting to turn white. Rawlings' offered her a bit more of the potion, and this time Lily was prepared for it.

_""Kill me then. Kill me, and I'll be honored to die for somebody else. I may be the Secret Keeper, but you'll never get it out of me."_

Lily's hands started to tremble. If the night wasn't bad enough, she might be reliving the very moment Stoughton was killed.

"_Expecto patronum… expecto patronum…_" Lily said weakly, fighting the darkness that was swallowing her heartlessly.

_"You're an idiot, old man, if you think we won't get the information another way. Delran, where's the Veritaserum?"_

_"Fool. They don't call me one of the best Occlumens since Merlin himself for nothing. No amount of Veritaserum will get me to betray my friends."_

"_Expecto patro… expect…_" It was smothering her now, all of her worst experiences swimming in her vision, but her happy memories were escaping.

_"You talk too much, old man. AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

The blackness was suffocating, but no matter how hard Lily tried, she was unable to fight free. All thoughts were wiped from her mind as the chilling darkness blanketed her...

"Lily! It's fine, Lily. It's not real."

Rawlings voice floated to Lily, and she opened her eyes to find she was on the floor once again with Rawlings kneeling over her.

"I'm fine… I'm fine…" Lily gasped.

Rawlings chuckled at Lily. "I've taken the potion myself, and you are definitely _not _fine. We should probably do this another day-"

"No! The Dementors were only twenty miles from my home. I have to know how to protect myself against them."

Rawlings gave her an odd look before handing her to bottle. "You're quite the stubborn Gryffindor, you know," she said.

Lily closed her eyes one more time, concentrating on the little meetings with Severus before school started, before the Slytherins had started to influence him. He was one of her best friends, and if he wasn't a happy memory, she didn't know what was.

The repulsive taste hit her tongue once again before the coldness seeped through her clothes as easily as a hot knife through butter.

_"You're the Mudblood Evans, aren't you? Yes, I can smell your filthy blood." _

_The sound of somebody hitting something and a sting across her cheek that could only be from a hand…_

Lily gritted her teeth, repeating '_It's not real, it's not real_' over and over.

"_Expecto patronum. Expecto patronum. Expecto Patronum._" Lily said, a single tear falling down her cheek as she was forced to relieve that worst night of her life.

_"Wake up, stupid Gryffindor, and watch your fellow student suffer what you could have prevented yourself."_

_"Evans?" _

It was coming, the unendurable pain that she had suffered once before.

_"Cru-"_

No! She couldn't relive that.

Happy memory, happy memory…

Faces flashed in her mind's eye: Alice, Marlene, Mary, her parents, Severus, Remus…

"_Expecto patronum!_" Lily yelled. The love she felt towards her friends and family emptied into her wand, and suddenly the cold was gone, the voices getting dimmer. She could see Bellatrix's Cruciatus Curse flying towards her, but a silver cloud blocked it; it blocked everything.

But it was taking Lily's energy fast, and she couldn't hold it for much longer.

The silver cloud vanished, and Rawlings was laughing and clapping at the same time.

"Amazing, Ms. Evans. I should think thirty points to Gryffindor for that. I've never heard of a third year producing a Patronus before. That was stunning!"

Lily felt a bead of sweat trickle down her face from the exhaustion. "But it wasn't an animal; it was just a cloud," she protested. "I think we should have another go."

"If you even attempt to drink the potion and try to produce another Patronus, Madam Pomfrey will have my head, and I'm not exaggerating. At least you get this huge bar of chocolate to yourself," she said, handing Lily an entire bar of Honeydukes chocolate.

"But it was nowhere near as good as yours," Lily insisted, biting into the chocolate and enjoying the warmth.

"You expect too much of yourself. That was more than some trainees in the Auror academy ever did, and you're only fourteen."

Lily nodded and took another bite of chocolate, the disappointment of her own weak Patronus still lingering.

**So you like it? Questions? Comments? Review and let me know!**

**Sarahrules336: thanks for reviewing! **

**Your Monday Muggle,**

**These-Nerds-of-12-Different-Worlds-Have-A-Bad-Case-Of-The-Mondays**


	25. Another Year Ends

**Another Year Ends**

_Lily POV_

"What? What do you mean?" Lily demanded as she stood in the dormitory with Alice and Marlene, packing the final bits of clothing into her large trunk with Marigold hooting softly from the top of her four-poster.

Alice looked surprised. "Dumbledore announced that Rawlings was leaving. She was only going to be here for a year to begin with, so she resigned earlier to- Lily!"

Lily was already out of the door, racing to catch Rawlings before she left.

Rawlings was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher she had ever had; she couldn't just _leave_ because of a…a disagreement or whatever had happened. Dumbledore or McGonagall or somebody would stop her- there was so much more she could learn.

She spotter Peeves scrawling bad words on a suit of armor with red paint; Filch wasn't going to be happy, but Lily could care less about Peeves even if he blew a couple of raspberries at her as she passed.

Before she knew it, Lily was standing outside Rawlings' office and banging on the door.

"Come in," Rawlings' voice said, and Lily flung it open without hesitation.

"Professor, you're not leaving, are you?" was the first thing out of her mouth. Not even a _'Hi, how are you doing this morning?_' or '_You doing anything interesting this summer?_'.

Rawlings smiled sadly. "There's no need to call me Professor since I'm no longer your teacher. Besides, I've always felt like it made me older than I am."

"But who- what- _why_?" Lily spluttered.

Rawlings shrugged. "The real reason? There are some things that Dumbledore needs me to take care of. I was only going to be here for a year; don't want to break the jinx now, do we?"

"Is it Shiloh?" Lily asked, the words leaving her mouth before she could stop, and Lily regretted it the moment she saw the cheeriness in Rawlings' wide eyes replaced with alarm, something Lily had never seen her professor show. Rawlings had always been the strong and fearless; now there was a look that didn't belong in her eyes.

"Who told you about him?" Rawlings asked cautiously, and Lily noticed her voice tremble ever so slightly.

"I- I overheard you and Professor McGonagall talking about him right before the lesson with the Patronus Charm. You also mentioned somebody named Caradoc Dearborn."

Rawlings face was impassive, not giving the slightest hint as to what she was thinking, which, to Lily, was a little unnerving; she was usually pretty good at picking up people's feelings and thoughts, but now she was stuck trying to figure out a blank slate.

"Do not mention Shiloh to anybody- that includes Alice; I know you two are tied at the hip, Lily, but it must remain secret."

"Why?"

Rawlings strode closer, her eyes glinting. "Shiloh has something that could be disastrous if in the wrong hands, and it could end the lives of hundreds of people if you know how to talk to him."

Lily studied her teacher. No, Rawlings didn't just know him, that much was clear. The way she spoke, it was like there was a deep bond; she cared more for Shiloh himself than whatever he had. "How do you know him?"

Rawlings lips pressed together firmly in a thin line. "Shiloh Rawlings- he's my brother, so that part isn't much of a secret, but there are some things that have happened that aren't common knowledge. It's part of the reason I'm leaving; I have to keep a low profile. Trust me on this, Lily. Do. Not. Tell. Anybody."

Lily finally nodded, but the curiosity burned within her, her need for answers fighting furiously with her understanding that it was important for some pieces of knowledge to remain secret.

Rawlings offered her one small smile before taking her belongings and walking towards the door.

"Wait," Lily said as she stood in Rawlings' now empty office.

Rawlings paused.

"Please stay. You're the best teacher we've had," Lily begged one final time. She had learned so much from her, but Lily knew that there was a whole world out there, and one year of good instruction wasn't enough.

Rawlings patted her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll do fine. Besides, if you really do get that bad of a teacher, practice on your own. I know of a couple spots that are good, and I'm sure you're smart enough to figure things out."

Lily just stared at her feet without uttering a word.

"This won't be the last time we meet, Lily. I'll see you again soon." With that promise hanging in the air, Rawlings left while the brilliant morning sun shone through the open window.

* * *

><p>Lily stood in her dormitory, surveying it one last time. The next time she would see wouldn't be for several months, not until she was a fourth year.<p>

She was nearing her halfway point in her entire Hogwarts career, and it felt like only yesterday that McGonagall and Francis Manumali had showed up on her doorstep with her Hogwarts letter. Hundreds of lifetimes could have gone by since she and Severus had first met, when her magic was uncovered.

"Lily?" Alice said, poking her head in the door to the now empty dormitory. "Carriages are leaving in ten minutes."

Lily glanced at her dormitory one last time before following Alice out of the dormitory.

**Gah! I know, I know! It's a short chapter, but I've been really busy, and I wanted to get just the little chapter where Rawlings leaves out there for all you lovely readers.**

**Before you ask: no, this is not the last time you'll see Rawlings. When I first started writing her character, I was planning on her being in the background, but I really like Rawlings. I was going to put the Shiloh storyline with some other characters until I realized just how awesome Rawlings is. I know that it sounds weird to say that you love a character that only you wrote about, but I really do enjoy writing the Lily/Rawlings friendship storyline. At least you have another clue as to what exactly is going on with Shiloh: you figured out he's Rawlings' brother, the two of them knew Stoughton, and Shiloh is in hiding for reasons that have yet to be explained.**

**Special thanks: 22potterfan, lynnnnyl, alcatluvr13, and Sarahrules336. Love you guys so much for the reviews!**

**Any questions, just head off to the comments section. Again, I'm sorry for such a short chapter, but please understand that I've been really busy.**

**You not so short in real life Muggle,**

**The-Short-Nerds-Of-The-12-Tall-Worlds**


	26. The Storm Comes

**The Storm Comes**

_Fourth Year_

_Lily POV_

Lily adjusted the _Prophet _clipping on her wall, scrutinizing it carefully before moving onto the next.

Ever since the Dementor attack, Lily had come home to an astonishing normal (or abnormal from a witch's point of view) life; a Muggle life filled with boring things like the newest invention or catching up on some TV shows. She was closer to the point of insanity with only Marigold, her one link to the magical world, to keep her connected to her world.

So Lily had decided to pursue the mystery of the disappearances, and her wall had become a collage of newspaper clippings, pictures, hand-written notes, and strings, starting from the disappearance of Gregory McMillan, five years ago, to Victoria Gobsworth to the Dementor attack on Harrison Forbs. The little spot where Severus's spell had gone wrong was almost completely covered up.

The yellowed clipping of Victoria Gobsworth's disappearance was smack in the middle with several strings attached to other pictures, but Lily stared at the pretty woman's fading smile while ignoring the other articles. She had obviously been beautiful when she was alive, but now all that remained of Victoria Gobsworth was a whisper and a rumor.

Marigold hooted softly from behind Lily, and she jumped, startled. Marigold had known that Lily wanted quiet as she concentrated on the wall.

Lily held out an owl treat for Marigold, which the owl took happily, but Marigold continued to hoot.

"What do you want, Marigold?" Lily asked, stroking her feathers and letting her owl nibble her finger lightly.

_Tap, tap, tap_.

Lily saw the Prewett's owl standing outside her window with a letter tied to it's leg. She opened the window, and the owl hopped in, holding out the letter; she took it and opened it, recognizing the handwriting instantly.

_Lily,_

_I know that you've been trying to find out more about Death Eaters, and I know that not a lot of people believed you, but the _Prophet _article this morning proves that you're right. You'll see what I'm talking about after you read the article. It's terrible._

_Alice_

Alice's writing was not the usual; her hand must have been trembling when she wrote Lily the letter, and an article was behind Alice's letter. The first hint that something horrible had happened was the picture of people in masks parading around Merlin knows where with people screaming.

_**Attack in London:**_

_On the night of July 31st, a large group consisting of wizards, giants, and Dementors attacked London by the hundreds, destroying buildings and causing a great wave of panic experienced by Muggles and wizards alike. _

_The wizards claiming responsibility are now going by the name of the Death Eaters. An anonymous letter was sent to the Ministry, telling several important members that they didn't listen to the Knights of Walpurgis, but that they, now christened the Death Eaters, are not afraid to turn to violence to make people see sense._

_The Auror office was completely emptied as every Auror in the country was ordered to defend London. While the Death Eaters and their allies raged battle on the Aurors, several volunteer fighters also joined the fight to battle the Death Eaters. None of the individuals were available to comment and would not tell reporters their names._

_The last of the Death Eaters vanished six hours after the fighting began. New _Prophet _reporter Rita Skeeter was the first one on the scene, and she discovered that a total of thirty-nine wizards and witches are officially dead with many more injuries. Aurors are still searching the wreckage of London for more bodies._

"_This is a terrible day in the history for the magical world: thirty-nine people dead and many more harmed. The Ministry and Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, are working together to get to the bottom of this," said one Ministry spokesperson earlier today._

_After the attack, the Death Eaters' leader wrote to the Minister. He refused to give his name, instead commanding the Minister to call him He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named said that to say his real name would result in a torturous death worse than what happened on July 31st in London._

_The attack interrupted the peaceful magical world, and there is no sign that the Death Eaters will stop soon. While under the name of the Knights of Walpurgis, the Death Eaters still had some restraint, but now that the Death Eaters are back, the magical world will face an even more dangerous enemy, led by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named._

Lily sat there for a moment, completely stunned. She had always thought that something like this might happen ever since second year, but in the back of her mind, Lily had always hoped that it never would, especially at this scale.

Dementors, giants, Death Eaters…

What would be next? Nundus? Basilisks?

_Who_ would be next?

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

"Charlus, do you really need to help? We're not as young as we once were," said Mrs. Potter quietly to her husband as he stared at the article that he had been staring at for the past two hours.

"They need all the help they can get, Dorea. The Aurors aren't big enough to handle everything; I know that Dumbledore's got some people helping them, but they are a very small group, and it doesn't help that they're trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. If I'm not going to fight, I can help at St. Mungo's. They have a whole bunch of people coming in, and they'll need all the help they can get."

Mrs. Potter bit her lip, and James ducked his head, shaking his incredibly messy hair over his eyes and taking another bite of his pancakes Dilly had made.

The Ministry had been working nonstop trying to clean up the Death Eater attack in London, Obliviating Muggles left and right and calling on every person able to produce a Patronus to drive back the Dementors. St. Mungo's was apparently overflowing with the wounded, not one of the Healers wasn't working at least five hours overtime.

"I'm going," said James suddenly, looking up from his delicious pancakes. If people needed help, he could provide it. He was, after all, James Potter, one of the most talented people in Hogwarts and Quidditch player to boot.

"No," said Mr. Potter firmly, "I will not have my fourteen-year-old son placed within five miles of those monsters, let alone the Dementors."

"But Dad…" James pleaded, his rebellious side coming up, trying to get what he can't have.

"No, James. It is too dangerous. Dilly!" Mr. Potter yelled, and James jumped slightly. Mr. Potter was normally a man of few words, hardly ever raising his voice, but now James' father was emitting an attitude that warned James not to argue.

But of course, James was a rebel at heart…

The Potter's house-elf Apparated with a _pop _at Mr. Potter's side and sank into a low bow. "Master Potter called?"

"Dilly, I do not want you to let James out of your sight. Whatever his excuse, he is not to leave this house, and you must use any and all means necessary. Knock him unconscious and drag him by his ear, I don't care, but do not let James out of the house."

But of course, Mr. Potter was his father...

Dilly bowed once again. "Not to leave the house. Master Potter has Dilly's word," said Dilly, his long nose almost touching the ground. This time, Dilly didn't disappear.

"I'll go to St. Mungo's, and you can go to the Ministry…" Mrs. Potter told her husband, but James was already planning his escape, the classic Marauder escape; he wasn't even sure just how much of him actually wanted to help the people or how much of him just wanted to disobey orders; most likely both.

* * *

><p>Dilly was currently nowhere to be seen, and James sprinted up the grand staircase three steps at a time He was sorely tempted to owl Sirius, but he couldn't risk such a letter intercepted by Dilly and presented to his parents.<p>

James burst into his bedroom, flinging the door open with such a loud _crash_ that he was surprised Dilly wasn't already there. Then again, the elf had orders not to let him leave the house; Mr. Potter hadn't said anything about his bedroom.

He ran over to his dresser and opened the bottom drawer where he kept his most important items: like the animagus procedure and recipe (disguised of course) and most importantly, his Invisibility Cloak.

James felt a prickle of worry as he searched and searched, running his hand across the bottom, but the silky cloak was nowhere to be found.

_Pop!_

"If Master James is wondering about his Invisibility Cloak, Dilly has it," said the elf from behind him, and James turned to see Dilly standing in the doorway with a familiar bundle in his arms; James swore under his breath.

"Dilly, I order you to give me my cloak."

Dilly shook his head. "Master Charlus said by any means necessary, and Dilly knows that once Master James has hold of the precious Hallow, Master James will be impossible to keep in the house."

"I don't care what my dad- wait, what? Hallow?"

Dilly ignored James' question. "Dilly cannot allow Master James out of the house," and without another word, Dilly Disapparated.

James sighed and looked out the large window.

_So much for a classic Marauder escape. Outsmarted by a house-elf_, James thought angrily, kicking his now empty school trunk.

He was old enough, wasn't he? He was one of the best students in the school, and he could take on those Slytherins with both hands tied behind his back, with the exception of some seventh years and Snape and Mulciber.

If he could only have a chance to prove how useful he was in the real world…

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

"Mum!" Lily yelled, racing downstairs, "Mum, I have something you need to see, and it's really important…"

Lily trailed off as she saw all three members of her family fixated on the TV; it was a sign how serious it was when Petunia didn't even turn around and make some degrading remark about 'freaks'.

"_Authorities are not sure what caused this devastation, but some are contributing this disaster to an earthquake while others are blaming a hurricane due to the damage and the cold fog,_" one reporter was saying as Lily caught a glimpse of the program.

Behind the reporter, it looked like somebody had taken a giant wrecking ball to the city: entire buildings had been annihilated, leaving nothing more behind than a pile of rubble. Smoke from fires swirled into the stormy grey sky, covered by miserable clouds that Lily was sure were caused by Dementors. Sirens wailed and people screamed, the noise mixing into a cacophony of horrifying sounds that chilled Lily to the bone.

A strangely familiar silver tiger leaped across a smoldering mound of wreckage, and then it was gone as soon it had come.

"_187 are reported to be dead, and the injuries are by the hundreds, ranging from likely fatal to minor. One thing is sure: it is a terrible day for Britain."_

"I'm sorry, Lils, were you saying something?" Mrs. Evans said weakly, staring at the TV with her mouth hanging open in horror.

Lily fell speechless as she listened to the reporter. The _Prophet _had only said that thirty-nine people were dead; 187 was much more than that, and a wave of fury crashed against her, wiping out almost every rational thought from her mind.

She choked out something between a whimper and a grunt; then she sprinted back upstairs and stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door shut in her frustration. It bounced back due to the amount of force, and Lily thrust it shut once again, harder than last time. The door bounced back yet again, and Lily, fuming, smashed it with her tiny fist curled into a ball.

Something snapped in Lily, and instead of shutting, the door rocketed back and slammed into the wall opposite Lily's room, blasting into bits of dust.

She was shaking from head to toe, and she could feel the flow of her magic burning in her veins, desperately trying to break free of her control.

Marigold hooted softly, and Lily inhaled deeply.

_Calm down before you do something you regret, _she repeated in her head, and slowly the feeling of power disintegrated, though her rage never left; her lamp still flickered softly, the strong magical current interrupting the electricity.

Lily breathed once more, sitting down and gripping her hair. All those Muggles were dead, but wizards had seen no reason to tell people, and it aggravated Lily to remember just how cruel and arrogant some wizards could be. Muggles were people too!

Something soft snuggled close to Lily, and Marigold rubbed her beak against Lily's arm. She absentmindedly stroked her owl, still consumed by the glaring injustice in the world she was a part of.

_If Dumbledore's right, and there's a storm coming, I'm in._

Emmeline Vance's words echoed in Lily's head, and she briefly wondered where the now fully-qualified witch was. Was she fighting? Healing the injured?

Many people had been debating about whether the issue was real, and only some had just begun preparations for a fight, though Lily knew it was too late for many to prepare fully.

Because the storm was already here.

**REVIEW!**

**In case any of you were wondering, the Patronus was Rawlings, and I think some of you can figure out what is being alluded to in the recent chapters. **

**Thanks: Sarahrules336, mrs. malfoy 4922, lynnnnyl, alcatluvr13, 22potterfan for the reviews! Made me so happy :)**

**Your not sure of the exact day Muggle,**

**Nerds-Of-All-Worldly-Nerdy-12-Days**

**AN: I can't remember who I have and haven't replied to for the reviews, so if I didn't get back to you, I apologize. I promise I'll try my best to respond, but right now I'm too tired to do much thinking**


	27. Ignorance

**Ignorance**

_Lily POV_

The Hogwarts Express whistled loudly, and Lily glanced around; there was much less smiling. Parents hugged kids and ushered them quickly to the train, all the while glancing around fearfully. Older students huddled in groups, whispering about the latest rumor of London's attack, and the younger students were all clutching their friends in fear.

Lily sighed heavily as she waved good-bye to her parents one last time, and set off to find her friends.

She didn't have to look very long.

"LILY!" Alice yelled, and a head of curly blond hair obscured her vision as Alice pulled her into a tight hug. "Are you okay? Did you hear? Of course you heard. It's been all over, with that Dark wizard and everything-"

"Alice," Lily said, laughing lightly. "I'm fine. How are you though?"

Alice had grown a bit over the summer and was now at least three inches taller than Lily, now making Lily the shortest of the four Gryffindor girls unless Mary or Marlene had magically shrunk in the past two months. She had lost a lot of baby fat in her face, giving her a much more mature look, and Alice was now wearing make-up but only enough to enhance her eyes.

"Good. Fabian and Gideon have been chasing some of the people responsible for the attack across the country, and they've been gone for a long time; I haven't heard anything expect two letters saying they were okay. Thirty-nine people dead, Lily. Can you-"

"187," said Lily, anger seeping into her tone.

"What?"

"187 people died. The _Prophet _just ignored the Muggles who died," Lily repeated, and Alice's blue eyes widened considerably, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.

"Those morons. I'm sorry, Lily, but I heard thirty-nine. I should have assume-" started Alice, but Lily interrupted her.

"It's alright, Alice. I get it."

Alice bit her lip. "I think Marlene's already on the train. We should go."

Lily followed Alice, recognizing some familiar faces: Elena and Barbara Smith, both Hufflepuffs in their year, and Sam Fairfield, a cute Ravenclaw. Kingsley Shacklebolt, and sixth year Gryffindor Prefect, was also present.

"Mary's grandmother has been working at St. Mungo's, and I heard that they are still overflowing with the injuries from the attack. I can't believe nobody except you realized it sooner; it's just so awful," Alice said as they made their way through the throng of students crowding the train.

"Lily," said Severus, suddenly appearing out of an empty compartment. His hair was slightly longer, but his eyes gleamed oddly, like he knew something Lily didn't; his thin lips were pressed into a grimace.

"Snape," said Alice coolly. She glared at the Slytherin, but Severus ignored her and continued to stare at Lily. "Do you need something?"

Severus's eyes finally turned to her, and his mouth twisted into a sneer. "What would I need from somebody like you, Prewett. Still hiding behind your cousins, are you? When will you realize that you can't do that forever?"

"Hey, you two," warned Lily, stepping firmly between Alice and Severus and placing a hand on each of their tense shoulders. Whenever Alice and Severus were within twenty feet of the other, a fight was right around the corner; they hated each other. The only people more dangerous were the Marauders.

"If you don't need anything, I suggest you get away from here," hissed Alice, but Severus hardly flinched.

"I was actually hoping to speak to Lily, Prewett. In private."

Alice glanced at Lily, waiting for her assurance that she would be fine with him. "I'm fine, Alice. Go and find Marlene."

She shot Severus one last look of contempt and stormed off to find the other girls from Gryffindor.

Severus muttered something under his breath, and Lily didn't need to hear it to know it wasn't complimentary.

"Long time no see, Sev," said Lily evenly, but she was unable to disguise the hurt. It indeed had been a long time. He wasn't around for almost the entire summer.

"I was with Mulciber. His father is a very good teacher."

"Of course," she responded quietly, absentmindedly playing with her necklace.

"I was just worried about you. I mean, the attack in London… what would have happened if you were there…"

Lily was silent for a second before responding, "I might have been able to help one of those dead people."

Severus scoffed. "Help a Muggle? You would be seen as the villain the moment you performed magic. They're intolerant of anything they aren't. It's the ugly truth, Lily."

Her eyes flashed. "My parents are Muggles, Severus. Or perhaps you've forgotten."

At Lily's words, Severus shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "You know what I'm talking about, Lils. You're parents are the minority."

Awkward silence, then: "But I really think you should lie low this year, Lily. With the rise of the Death Eaters, you'll be more of a target because you're a Muggle-born."

"I'm a witch," Lily said adamantly. "After what happened in second year, I've learned not to be surprised by the lengths some people will go to."

"Lily, I really just want you to be safe," he pleaded. "And what everybody heard about in second year is different. You don't actually realize what they're like."

_Oh, if only you knew, Sev,_ Lily thought wryly. She realized much more than he could ever understand.

"Just be careful, Lily," said Severus, and Lily glanced up from under her long eyelashes, managing to hide her surprise. He had stepped much closer to her than she expected, leaning forward almost like he was about to kiss her.

Lily gasped inaudibly. It was a situation that could turn very awkward very quickly, so instead of just standing there with Severus getting nearer and nearer, she closed the distance and wrapped her arms around Severus.

"I will, Sev. I promise," she said softly. Severus stiffened for half a second, but he instantly relaxed and pulled Lily tighter.

Moments like these were rare: Sev was always so caught up in the other Slytherins' agendas while Lily had her own friends. It didn't help that he had been gone most of the summer as well.

"Long time no see, Snivellus!" a jaunty voice yelled. "How's my least favorite grease ball?"

And then that moment ended.

"Black, Potter," said Lily coolly, releasing Severus and turning to glare at the two mischievous Marauders. Black was the one who had yelled, but Potter had Lily's attention due to his wand.

"_Stupefy!_" he yelled suddenly, and Lily yelped as Severus was sent flying into the window of the compartment.

"Potter!"

Potter just twirled his wand in his hand and gave Lily an impish grin that left most girls swooning; however, it did nothing to appease Lily, and he seemed to comprehend that.

"_Rennervate,_" Lily said, waving her wand at Severus before pointing it directly at Potter's nose; she was pleased to see that both he and Black took several steps back and eyes it warily. "Who should I hex first?" she asked disdainfully.

"Him," said Potter and Black at the same time, almost immediately after Lily as her rhetorical question, and pointed at each other.

* * *

><p><em>James POV<em>

She was prettier than ever with the sun setting her dark red hair on fire. James couldn't understand why he hadn't seen it before- maybe it was the fact that she had much more of a figure or the emerald eyes that were currently glowering at him with intense dislike shined with a youthful vibrancy a thousand times more powerful than last year.

Something had changed in Lily, but James couldn't quite put his finger to it.

Instead, he and Sirius were hobbling around with an incurable Jelly-Legs Jinx operating on them, kind courtesy of Lily. Both he and Sirius had taken turns trying to get rid of Lily's jinx but to no avail. She had to have put some kind of anti counter-jinx on them. So James now had to look like an idiot until it wore off.

"Such a charming lady," said Sirius.

Remus snorted. "You did Stun one of her best friends, Sirius."

"So? He's a slimy git, and she can't see that he's a Death Eater in the making."

"Their best friends, whether you approve of it or not."

* * *

><p><em>Lily POV<em>

"Sweetie, how've you been?" Marlene asked, sweeping her into a hug.

"Alright, I guess," responded Lily, stepping back to assess any changes that might have happened over the past two months. She had cut her sleek, shiny sheet of dark brown hair so it was just below her ear, but she retained the superhuman elegance. Mary hadn't changed one bit.

"I still can't believe that people would kill all those people. Thirty-nine-"

"187."

"What?" Marlene asked, confused.

"187," was the reply, but it didn't come from Lily; it came from Mary. She continued on, ignoring Marlene's surprised expression and Alice's guilty one. "The _Prophet_ just didn't include Muggle deaths. Believe me, my uncle was there, and he was terrified by all the deaths."

Marlene was quiet and then, "I'm sorry. I didn't know…" Her apology was the same as Alice's, but Lily found herself spacing out for most of it, and Mary was probably doing the same.

She didn't blame Marlene or Alice for the unintentional ignorance, but that didn't mean she didn't like the government for being so blatantly disrespectful to the Muggles.

After all, if their side shared the same prejudices as the Death Eaters, that didn't make them any better.

**Alright, this chapter isn't my best, and it is short, but I'm going through a bit of a rough patch right now. It might be a little while before I can update.**

**Review, please. **

**Thanks for the reviews: Sarahrules336, 22potterfan, lynnnnyl, and alcatluvr13. Love it when I see the reviews.**

**Your so so so so tired Muggle,**

**Nerdy-World-Of-12-Nerdy-Nerds**

**AN: **

**Words really do hurt. Stop the bullying because the consequences are much more real than you think. You may think of suicide as something that only happens in the other school district, but it can take anybody. I had to learn that the hard way, but you don't have to if you help prevent bullying. Just remember that anything hurtful could potentionally be a step towards the grave, and it hurts much worse than physical pain because it will stay with you. There will always be a 'What if?'. It may be too late for me, but you can help prevent one more teen suicide by standing up to bullies. PLEASE! Don't just be a bystander. You never know if your actions could save a life.**

**Stop the bullying.**

**Holly, we love you and miss you. You were taken from us much too soon, before you could even start driving, but you will forever be alive in my heart.**

**Rest in peace, Holly**

**3.6.12**


	28. Battles Fought and Secrets Revealed

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_Marlene was quiet and then, "I'm sorry. I didn't know…" Her apology was the same as Alice's, but Lily found herself spacing out for most of it, and Mary was probably doing the same._

_She didn't blame Marlene or Alice for the unintentional ignorance, but that didn't mean she didn't like the government for being so blatantly disrespectful to the Muggles._

_After all, if their side shared the same prejudices as the Death Eaters, that didn't make them any better._

**Battles Fought and Secrets Revealed**

Lily sighed as she sank lower into her chair in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with Alice practically falling asleep next to her. From what she saw, it was going to be a long year.

Professor Oggins was such a wizened, old man that Lily was surprised he wasn't retired- or dead. He was nice enough, but Lily preferred Rawlings by a large margin. His class was very textbook-oriented while Rawlings was always the learn-as-you-go type, and they had used the textbook only if needed.

Potter and Black had already set off several fireworks in his office, hoping to distract the old man with the loud bangs, but all the guy did was tilt his head and twist his finger in his ear, as if he had just misheard something. It was then that Lily concluded that the professor was partially deaf.

Once Potter and Black realized that nothing they did would distract Oggins, even if it was unintentional, they had taken to teasing Lily by transfiguring her quill into a mouse and causing her bag to zoom around the classroom.

She had responded by using her Knockback Jinx. Oggins was looking at the board and only glanced at the window, frowning slightly as if a bird had collided with it, when the thump of Potter landing squarely on his back ten feet away sounded out the room, audible to everyone but Oggins. Lily was able to get away with just a nasty glower from Potter sent her direction and a certain finger- the kind consideration of Black.

"So Unforgivable Curses," croaked Oggins, and everybody was in rapt attention; the class in general had come to a silent agreement thirty minutes into the class that when Oggins looked to the classroom, they must all appear to be a group of amazingly polite and obedient students. Alice hastily slammed her textbook over _The Muggle Word_, and Black and Pettigrew swiped the notes they had been passing under the desk while Remus just rolled his eyes at them.

"You will not be shown the actual curses until you are sixth years, due to the sensitivity of them, but you will be expected to know about the three Unforgivable Curses: the Killing Curse, the Imperius Curse, and the Cruciatus Curse."

"Like we can't handle them," snorted Potter quietly. Oggins merely twisted his finger in his ear, but Lily bit back the retort that she wanted to yell so badly at the idiot.

Potter, with all his Gryffindor courage that he _supposedly_ possessed, would quail before Bellatrix or Malfoy if he knew just how terrible the Cruciatus Curse was to watch. He would probably give up after one second if he had to endure the unbearable, searing fire that Lily had been subjected to. And to see Stoughton get murdered in cold blood? And Sturgis under Bellatrix's complete control?

Unquestionably, Potter could not handle them, Lily was sure.

"What's that, sonny?" Oggins asked loudly.

"I said that we should know what we're up against," said Potter in equal volume, and Oggins scowled.

"I wouldn't expect a fourteen-year-old boy like you to understand. Don't pretend it's just a dangerous game of Quidditch, boy. If you think like that, you'll be killed before you can say Merlin's beard."

Potter looked like he had been slapped in the face, and everybody looked sympathetic towards him in face of Oggins comment- everybody expect Lily.

* * *

><p>"So Evans?" asked Potter, sauntering up to Lily as she made her way to the greenhouses. "Ready to start Unforgivable Curses? Fragile, pretty little thing like you needs to prepare for something like that. I mean, come on, you're not exactly the fierce fighter you have to be to handle them. Sure, you can throw a good Knockback Jinx, but-"<p>

Her temper already close to the surface since the cocky overconfidence Potter had displayed just an hour ago, Lily whirled around, and her wand was instantly resting on Potter's nose; he was going cross-eyed in an effort to keep it within his vision. Mary backed away from the two as quietly as she could.

"I'm not fragile. If anything, you're going to earn that title once I beat your ass in a fair battle," Lily said in a dangerously low voice.

Potter cautiously backed away. He then flashed Lily his mischievous smirk and withdrew his own wand. "Is that a challenge?" he asked, and Lily knew he was relishing in the chance to beat her face to face; there was a never-ending but still passionate rivalry between the two of them, and Lily could practically feel the tension.

"Enemy 1. I repeat: Enemy 1. Watch out, Gryffindor 1," Black whispered suddenly, and though Lily didn't have the faintest clue what he meant, Potter stuffed his wand back into his robes. Lily noticed this, and hastily followed suit.

"Is there a problem?" McGonagall asked, appearing next to the two groups in record time; she could smell trouble from a mile away. Lily vaguely knew how it would look to a teacher of the little Gryffindor cliques were facing each other like they were going to battle.

"No, Professor," said Lily, and McGonagall eyed her suspiciously until she left with a grimace.

"Tonight: wizard's duel," said Potter quietly, and it took Lily a moment to respond.

"When and where?" she demanded, and Lily couldn't tell who was more surprised: the Marauders, her friends, or herself. After all, Lily was a good student and rarely broke the rules: this was the most blatant disregard for them she had ever shown.

"Trophy room, that's always unlocked," said Potter. "Sirius is my second. Who's yours?"

"Me," said Alice almost instantaneously, and Lily felt a rush of sisterly affection for her friend.

"Midnight," said Lily, and Black's eyebrow raised so much that it was in danger of disappearing above his black hair.

Potter winked, and Lily fought the urge to strangle him. "It's a date."

* * *

><p>"Lily, don't do this," Mary pleaded as she hugged her pillow, curled up in her pajamas. She had spent the past five hours trying to convince Lily to stay and sleep.<p>

"No, Potter needs to know who he's messing with," Lily replied adamantly, slipping her wand into the sleeve of her dressing gown.

The clock ticked to 11:50, and Lily turned to Alice who was not feeling as thrilled about the duel. "Ready? You can stay here if you want."

Alice smiled at her. "Thanks, Lily, but would I really abandon my best friend to the mercy of the Marauders?"

"It's the other way around. They're at _my _mercy."

* * *

><p>Lily slowly eased the large, finely wrought door to the trophy room open and winced slightly as the loud sound of metal scraping against metal; it was deafening in the silent castle.<p>

"Well, there goes any hope of a surprise attack," said Alice in an attempt to lighten the mood.

They tip-toed into the trophy room and glanced around: no Marauders were to be found.

"Do you think they were bluffing when they said they weren't scared of facing you?" Alice asked as she lightly traced a crystal medallion. Lily was examining an Award for Special Services to the School that was issued to a Tom M. Riddle over thirty years ago and a list of old Head Boys.

"No," said Lily, "They're probably here hiding. I wouldn't put it past a- ARG!" Lily screamed as she was hoisted into the air by the ankle, and the two Marauders materialized on either side of the trophy.

"Right-o, Evans," smirked Potter. "You certainly know us well. I don't know whether to be impressed or mad."

Lily growled and waved her wand, silently saying _Liberacorpus _in her head. "Too much of a scaredy-cat to take me head on?"

Potter's face flashed with momentarily anger before he covered it with an unconvincing grin. "That was just for fun, Evans. We'll still have a proper wizard's duel, no need to worry."

"I never was worried," said Lily before walking backwards several steps.

"Then I don't think you realized what you were doing," Potter retorted.

"Anybody with half a brain wouldn't be worried of you."

"I'm betting somebody will wind up in the Hospital Wing."

"I'll make sure to send you a card."

"You'll be sending it to yourself."

"Just keep telling yourself that."

Potter just frowned at Lily before raising his wand. "Are you ready or not, Evans?"

Lily just smirked and showed Potter her own wand.

"Try not to kill each other," said Black before starting on the countdown. "Three, two, one."

"_Pertrificus Totalus!_" Potter yelled immediately, but Lily had seen enough of Potter's fighting techniques to know his forte was direct attack.

She dodged behind a cabinet full of bronze medals that she couldn't tell how old they were. Potter's spell flew over her head and collided with an enormous golden cup standing majestically upon a table. It didn't stay standing long.

"Hiding again, Evans? Who's the scaredy-cat now?" Potter jeered, laughing while Alice stood to the side with her lips pressed firmly together to keep from shouting obscenities at Potter that Lily was sure she wanted to.

Lily felt a rush of anger, and realized that Potter was using a tactic she had never suspected him to use; it was much more sophisticated than the usual bullying: he was trying to get her mad; he was smart to realize that she sometimes let her temper get the better of her. Due to the ease that he irritated Lily, she was sure Remus had told him it because his mind was far too preoccupied with the next victim of his pranks.

"Is that all you ever do? Snivel behind a wall and sneak a peek at what's going on? You just sit by and watch," said Black, and Alice aimed a Stunning Spell at him. "Watch it!" he snarled.

"It's not cheating since you're not actually dueling her," Alice simpered, and Black growled something under his breath that Lily was sure wasn't complimentary.

Lily sucked in a breath at Black's words. She had done exactly that, in her second year. She had just sat by and watched while Bellatrix murdered Stoughton. She had been completely useless and probably still was.

"_Everte Statum!_" Potter yelled, and the cabinet she had been taking cover against flew backwards, knocking her flat on her belly in the process.

Potter smirked at the sight of her on the floor and raised his wand.

"_Expelliarmus!_"Lily yelled, and Potter ducked.

"Aren't we past that phase, Lovely Lily?" he teased, and the surge of anger returned. He was getting under skin like all those other times.

"_FLIPENDO!_" she screamed, and Potter's eyes widened in what could only be fear. He twisted to the side, but not quick enough. While the streak of light still raced towards the opposite end of the room and exploded against the fireplace, Potter went spiraling through the air, landing on a small table of awards that shattered against his momentum ten yards away.

Several seconds passed before Potter groaned, and shakily stood up. Lily stepped back; while the Marauders weren't above hexing people in that state, Lily refused to sink to their level. Besides, she only had to wait for Potter to open his mouth before she would finish him.

"_Stu-_"

"_Expelliarmus!_" Lily cried, and Potter was too dazed to avoid her Disarmer soon enough. His wand went flying through the air at the stream of scarlet light, and Lily caught the wand with relative ease.

"You're sure not past that phase," Lily mocked, twirling his wand in her fingers almost tauntingly.

Potter opened his mouth, no doubt to reply with a cutting remark, but somebody else must've heard their little duel from the trophy room because just then, a voice echoed, "Which one of you little brats is it this time?"

Filch.

Alice squeaked, and Lily shuddered at the memory of the last time Filch had tried to catch them at night. She had ended up witnessing a murder and suffered the Cruciatus Curse at the hands of Bellatrix.

Lily glanced at Potter, desperately hoping that the Gryffindors would have enough chivalry not to leave her or Alice to the mercy of Filch.

"Please help," Alice begged, clasping her hands together; Lily wouldn't have been surprised if she got down on her knees.

Black stared at them critically for a couple of seconds before sighing at Alice's puppy eyes. "If we let you follow us, you have to promise not to make any noise. You can't ask questions, you won't use any passages we might use against us, and you have to give us cookies."

At least they seemed to realize that the duel was over.

"Deal," Alice said quickly, and Filch's footsteps grew closer. "Now get us out of here!"

Potter looked at Black. "Escape from Trophy Room Plan A, B, C, D, E, or F?"

"We can't do D because they don't know what they have to do, and I think F is more for the hot hot months. We should go with B," Black replied, and it took Lily every ounce of self-control not to giggle at the ridiculous ways the Marauders worked.

"This way," said Potter immediately, waving Lily and Alice toward the back of the room. Lily expected to see brilliant maps of little hidden passages that she would have to give extremely complicated passwords and perform a secret handshake.

It was a broom cupboard.

"This isn't exactly-" Lily started, but Black silenced her with a finger to his lips while Potter knelt down to a bare piece of wall and tapped it three time with his wand.

The wall disintegrated like metal oxidizing in acid. Soon there was nothing left but a black hole leading to Merlin knew where.

"Come on," Black waved them forward, and Alice and Lily followed without question.

* * *

><p>"That was interesting," Alice commented as they collapsed in front of the fire.<p>

After following the black tunnel with only the tips of their wands to guide the way, Lily had crawled out of the shortcut into an empty classroom next to Barnabas the Barmy. Alice had let out a low whistle when they realized that the Marauders had taken a surprisingly direct path to the common room.

"Mm-hm," Lily agreed, the softly flickering flames washing them with a pleasant warmth.

She was still pondering on Black's words. Was that really all she was good for? Hiding and standing by while demons like Bellatrix tortured people like Stoughton, people who actually did good in the world and didn't deserve any of what he got?

Lily had always assumed that her not jumping into the middle of it was just part of being a scared twelve-year-old. But could she had done something?

"I didn't expect the tunnel to lead us to the seventh floor that fast. With the Marauders, I would have expected a more elaborate plan."

"Mm-hm."

"Lily?"

"Mm-hm…"

"Lily. Dumbledore wants to know if he'll be reading the vows at your wedding with Potter," Alice said, and Lily shot up like a startled chicken on crack who was electrocuted.

"What!" Lily yelled, and she snapped out of her reverie.

"Sorry, but I needed to get you back into this time period," Alice said bluntly, unashamed at her choice of words.

"It worked," Lily grumbled. "What do you want?"

"What's on your mind?"

This would normally be the time when Lily would shrug and say "fine". That was her default response, had been since Stoughton's murder. She simply wasn't able to talk about the end of second year, but something that Black had said had opened the old guilt, and Lily wanted nothing more than to spill everything to Severus.

But he wasn't around, though Alice, one of her best friends for four years, was sitting right in front of her with big blue eyes that would surely widen in fear if Lily were to talk about the horrible night in her second year.

To tell or not to tell.

Alice had always been there for her, whether it be something as trivial as applying the right make-up or something as heart-pounding as sneaking off in the dead of night with Filch prowling the corridors so she wouldn't be left to the mercy of the Marauders.

To tell or not to tell.

"Lily?"

To tell or not to tell.

Something snapped, and Lily knew that she would continue to live her life like this if she didn't tell somebody besides a simple little memory to Dumbledore.

Lily opened her mouth slowly. "It's just something Black said…"

Alice's eyes hardened. "Lily, don't take anything that prat… What's been bothering you?" She switched as soon as she saw that it was something much more serious than a little taunt.

"I wasn't completely honest with you. Or Mary. Or Marlene," said Lily, twisting her hands nervously in her lap. The guilt and sadness jabbed her in the heart with what felt like little pokers that had been sitting in a fire for over an hour.

Alice scooted closer to Lily but more cautiously. "About what?"

"The night Stoughton was murdered by Bellatrix Black."

There. It was out. Now Alice would know what she heard while under the effects of Rawlings' potion. Alice would understand why she had been so terrible for the last several weeks of second year.

Alice let slip a little gasp of fear before adopting her much gentler tone. "What happened?" Lily could hear the poorly concealed terror of what Lily would tell her, but she was appreciative of the effort all the same.

Lily hesitated two more seconds, Bellatrix's anger and the hopelessness she had felt as she hid behind the wall flashing for the billionth time in her mind, before spilling out the entire story to Alice.

**Hello, my readers. I'm back after a much-needed break.**

**First off: If you are wondering about the "_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies_", I thought that you might like a little reminder of what was going on last chapter since some of you (probably all) are reading lots and lots and lots of stories and they can get a little mixed up unless it's an incredibly awesome story (Belive me, I've come across a couple). I just thought it might be nice if I remind you of certain cliffhangers or any other endings.**

**Second: REVIEW! I love love love love love love love x infinity reviews, especially long and contructive reviews (Which means the extra-flamey flamers are NOT welcome. Sorry, but I'm not a big fan of people hurting my feelings in ways that they know are rude and mean).**

**Thanks to: Sarahrules336, alcatluvr13, prongs4evr (I wasn't able to respond to your review, but thank you and I will take your advice into account. This is the first story I've written that has two main characters instead of one. I'm just not as good as switching between two different people, but I will definitely listen and try my hardest), and 22potterfan.**

**Extra special thank you to lynnnnyl :)**

**Your back from a much needed break Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**

**AN: Hunger Games is almost out in theaters! _SO SUPER-DUPER-UUBER EXCITED!_**


	29. Yet Another Party

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"The night Stoughton was murdered by Bellatrix Black."_

_There. It was out. Now Alice would know what she heard while under the effects of Rawlings' potion. Alice would understand why she had been so terrible for the last several weeks of second year._

_Alice let slip a little gasp of fear before adopting her much gentler tone. "What happened?" Lily could hear the poorly concealed terror of what Lily would tell her, but she was appreciative of the effort all the same._

_Lily hesitated two more seconds, Bellatrix's anger and the hopelessness she had felt as she hid behind the wall flashing in her mind, before spilling out the entire story to Alice._

**Yet Another Party**

"Slughorn's Christmas party is later today," said Alice, holding up a long, gold dress with the silky fabric flowing and a tight black dress.

"Yes, I know," said Lily while she lounged on the bed with one of her books. "There are a whole bunch of Slytherins going."

Alice placed both dresses on her bed and turned to Lily, biting her lip anxiously. "Do they know what happened at the end of second year?"

Lily paused before answering. Did they? She had always imagined all the Slytherins except Severus as a single unit, knowing the same things and possessing the same Dark spells they loved.

"I don't know. Bellatrix and her cronies had fled without returning to the common room."

"I still can't believe that you never told anybody," she responded, walking over to Lily's bed and seating herself on the edge. "I mean, if I had known then I would have told everybody to stop with the stairs jokes."

Lily's lips quirked into the smallest laugh. "I was scared and embarrassed about it. I didn't want people questioning me about that night."

Alice put her arm around Lily's shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze. "You won't have any of that from me unless you want me to know. And besides, I have no wish to know about the Unforgivable Curses and what it's really like when somebody uses them."

"Thanks."

A pause and then: "Now, off your butt, missy. We _need_ to decide what dress you're wearing."

* * *

><p>"Lily?"<p>

Lily nearly jumped out of her seat. The sun was setting, letting off a brilliant orange glow on her Charms homework she was working on in the library.

"Can I sit here?" Dorcas pulled out a chair, which screeched against the wood. "There's nothing I can do about it," she added as a young Madam Pince glared at her reproachfully.

"Sure. Do you need help with something?" Lily said, never taking her eyes off her parchment.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you," she said. Lily glanced up for the first time in two hours, startled to see an unusually apprehensive Dorcas.

"About what?"

Dorcas bit her lip as if unsure how to approach the subject on the tip of her tongue. "You remember Sara Gonzalez?"

Lily nodded. She had met Sara several times, and the two girls had gotten on fairly well. Sara was quiet and shy but also very nice. Lily waved her hand for Dorcas to go on.

"Well, she keeps running into trouble with several Slytherins. And it isn't just her either but also Mary, Sam Fairfield from Ravenclaw, and Beth Quagmire, also from Ravenclaw."

"All the Muggle-borns in our year," said Lily, more to herself as if confirming it rather than asking Dorcas.

Dorcas nodded and launched into an explanation without waiting for Lily to ask any questions. "A lot of the Slytherins have been harassing all of them, throwing around curses and the M word so much that I think it's considered the norm in the Slytherin common room."

"Tell a teacher."

"Sara doesn't have any proof. She only remembers bits and pieces. It's like somebody made her forget, but they didn't have a strong enough charm."

Lily frowned. "Look, Dorcas, I'm happy that you're telling me this, but I can't do anymore than you can. I'm only a fourth year."

Dorcas shifted, and Lily knew she hadn't heard the worst part. "It's just…don't know how to say it." Dorcas stared at her feet and mumbled, "Severussnapeisapartofit."

"Sorry?"

Dorcas looked Lily directly in the eye and said, "Severus Snape is a part of it."

Lily shook her head, thinking she had misheard. Severus himself had told her that he wasn't aware of anything his friends got up to. "Severus wouldn't do that. He's my friend."

Dorcas went back to looking at her feet and said, "I know that you're his friend, even though he wants it to be something more, but-"

Now this was going too far. "No," Lily said flatly. "Both he and I know it could never go that way. I don't like him that way, and he does not like me that way."

"Lily," Dorcas was suddenly very impatient, "Are you telling me you haven't seen the way he looks at you or the presents he sends you or the way you're the only Muggle-born he hasn't bullied yet?"

Lily opened her mouth and paused. They were all very good reasons, but Severus _couldn't_ like her that way, could he? First off, she didn't harbor those kinds of feelings toward him or anybody else. Second, she still got bullied by Avery and his gang. Sure, she stood up for herself, and they learned to back off, but that didn't put a complete stop to it.

Dorcas nodded, satisfied, "Exactly. You don't have an argument for that, and you're Lily Evans; you always have a case for everything. So I am asking you, friend to friend, to please talk to Snape and get him to reign in his little cronies."

Lily sighed. "Slughorn has an early Christmas party tonight, and both I and Severus are invited. I'll ask him then." _Again,_ Lily added in her head.

"Why is Slughorn having a Christmas party when Christmas is still four days away?"

Lily shrugged. "He wants everybody to be there, especially since Riley and Alexandra have both graduated last year. I think he wants to get other people signed so he can get more free tickets. Besides, half the Slug Club is of age, and I'm willing to bet that some of them will attend the New Year's Eve Ball since some, probably most, are members of well-known, pure-blooded families."

They both laughed at Slughorn's motives, remembering the way he hounded Riley and Alexandra last year, pointing out suggestions for different teams. He was very nice, but Lily was still wary of his earlier surprise of a good Muggle-born witch. Lily knew why Slughorn only invited certain people, and she thought it was selfish for him to ignore other people when they still had chances at succeeding.

"Do you know who's invited?"

"Me, Severus, Astoria Gamp from Slytherin, Alice, Amelia Bones, that fifth year from Hufflepuff, Dirk Cresswell from Ravenclaw, he's a year ahead of us, a lot of sixth and seventh years, and Kingsley. I heard the Mark Wood is stopping by for a visit. Did you know that he and Riley are dating now? Oh, and Frank Longbottom, the fifth year from Gryffindor."

"Poor Jesse McClaggen. Riley didn't spend any time for him," Lily mocked.

Dorcas smiled. "Didn't Slughorn invite Sirius and James as well?"

"He did but don't remind me."

* * *

><p>"Lily, you look gorgeous," Marlene said as Lily folded her clothes on her bed.<p>

"If there are guys that look as good as you, can you persuade Slughorn to invite me to the next one?" Mary asked.

"You really think so?"Lily asked, studying herself in the mirror. Alice had forced her to go dressy-but-not-too-much. Her silver dress fell to her knees gracefully. The waist was scrunched up in the back, outlining Lily's developing figure and accentuating parts, but it was still very simple. Flat, silver sandals adorned her feet-all in all, the pretty outfit that could pass for a casual date.

"Alice prided herself on finding an inexpensive but still cute dress that made Lily look beautiful without trying," Marlene explained, "And she succeeded," she added, evaluating Lily carefully.

"Oh, please. Lily could wear rags and still look stunning." Alice said emerging from the bathroom with a handful of beauty products.

Alice herself was sporting the classic tight black dress with four inch matching heels; Lily was tempted to point out that if Alice could have a number of accidents sitting down, stilettos were a death sentence. Nevertheless, since Alice had somehow managed to transform Lily with minimal make-up and simple clothes, maybe Alice had practiced enough in heels to walk without tripping. She had magically straightened her hair, showing off a much longer length than Lily had originally thought. "My turn to play with your hair. Now sit."

Alice jokingly threatened Lily with her wand. Lily complied, knowing that Alice was the only one with enough experience to deal with Lily's dark red mane, or anybody else's for that matter.

Alice hummed while she lifted parts and twirled others. Lily flashed back to the curling irons, which Petunia had been using during the summer, but she never found out why her sister bothered prettying herself up for her friends (Petunia had quite rudely shoved her out of the house before whoever she was meeting came over). The perkiness which Alice emitted did not entirely fool Lily. She knew that if anyone were to interrupt, they would be better off as a squashed bug.

And apparently bugs had a death wish today...

"LADIES! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" a voice yelled.

Alice jumped and swore violently, proving Lily's point.

* * *

><p>"You know, Sirius, I don't think Prewett is going to be very happy with you if she's the one fixing everybody's hair. I have her pegged as the person who doesn't appreciate being cut short in something they are doing."<p>

Sirius winked. "Relax, I have plenty of experience with the ladies for my age."

"Who's your date to the Christmas party?"

"Bell Stuart, that fifth year from Hufflepuff. She's a fine one, too. What about you, Jamsie Boy?"

"Solara Deles."

"Ah, an excellent choice, my friend, but still-"

"SIRIUS BLACK, YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD REASON TO CALL US DOWN!"

Alice appeared in the staircase, red-faced and furious with Lily trailing behind her.

James' mouth fell open for five seconds as he stared at Lily before he snapped it shut, knowing that if Sirius caught him starting, James would never hear the end of it. So instead he just gazed at Lily and her little silver dress.

Her newly curled hair fell down to the middle of her back with several locks pinned behind her ears. Alice had been a master with Lily's makeup, adding enough to outline the brilliance of her green eyes, but she had left much of it to Lily's own natural beauty.

Alice crossed her arms in front of the two ringleaders. "In case you haven't noticed, Black, but Lily and I neither need nor want your assistance to get down to Slughorn's dungeons."

Sirius saluted. "Call it chivalry."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "That only applies if it's not annoying."

"You know me so well, Ms. Evans."

"Trust me. I try not to."

* * *

><p>"I thought you said this was casual," Lily hissed as the fifth boy they passed stared at them. Lily self-consciously tugged at the bottom of her dress.<p>

"I did! I thought you should leave a lot of it to your own natural prettiness. I didn't realize most boys wouldn't care about subtlety," Alice said, and Lily glowered at a fourth year boy who's eyes were traveling up and down her legs too much for her comfort.

She opened the door, and Lily was thankful for the warming spells she had cast. There were so many people in the dungeon that Lily found it impossible to have any space at any given time. Alice dragged her over to the table where little snacks and some punch lay on an emerald green cloth.

"Have you seen Sev?" Lily asked her friend quietly.

Alice looked startled but shook her head. "Why?"

"I promised Dorcas I would talk to him about his friends' bullying."

Alice gasped. "This is the first time you have thought to ask him in four and a half years? Lily! Mary is your friend."

"Thanks for the update. I didn't know Severus was involved," Lily responded in a hard voice, but she was lying, and her best friend knew it.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Of course you didn't."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lily demanded, her temper rising. If Alice was suggesting Lily didn't mind letting Mary get hurt just because Severus might have been involved, then Lily would have to remind Alice who she was.

"You don't care what your "friend" does. You just let him off no matter what, and he'll take advantage of that. Mary is your friend too, and you might do well to remember that," Alice retorted with her voice rising at every word.

"I have tried to talk to him!" Lily defended.

"Well, it's definitely not enough. Do you even care about the people in your own house?"

Furious, Lily turned and walked away without another word to Alice. Alice had no clue how difficult it was for her at the moment. She seemed to forget that Severus was her other best friend. She had tried to talk to him, but it was hard when trying to maintain their friendship that was getting feebler every year.

She didn't even notice as someone stepped out in front of her almost knocking her off her feet.

"Oomf!"

"Sorry!" Lily cried as the person stumbled back. "I'm so sorry; I didn't even se- Sev?"

There was no denying it as her familiar friend stood up straight. His smile lit up when he saw her. "Lily! I was looking for you. You look gorgeous by the way." Unconsciously, it seemed, Severus ran his eyes over her body.

Lily shifted uncomfortably. "Sev, I need to talk to you. It's urgent."

"I also need to talk to you. I've been experimenting with spells and-"

"Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"-and I found some that are extremely useful. The only problem is that…" Severus paused, as if he was considering the best way to continue, "That some Death Eaters have also discovered," he finished lamely.

Lily knew that Severus wasn't telling her the entire truth, but she decided to let it slide this one time. Severus would tell her in time, and Lily had more pressing issues at the minute.

"I need to talk to you about your friends."

Severus took a step back. "Lily, I told you before that they just have fun."

"What have you been doing to the other Muggle-borns?"

Severus looked taken aback. "Lily, I made sure they aren't affecting you at all-"

"Damn you, Severus!" Severus flinched as she disregarded his favorite nickname, but Lily took no notice. "Mary's one of my best friends. And the others! You say I won't be hurt, but everybody else who _is_ is just like me."

"No, they're not," Severus stated quietly but firmly. "They have spent all their four and a half years here trying to keep up with real wizards. They strut around and take everything for granted. They get all they can from the pity of others. Those dirty people are nothing like you."

"What did you say about Mary?" Lily gasped, shocked that her best friend would sink to such levels.

Severus knew immediately tried to cover up his slip. "I just…I never…didn't mean…"

"I can't believe you. You were my friend!" Lily yelled, and Severus winced as if she physically hurt him. "I have tried to explain to my friends that you wouldn't do that. All this time you lied to me."

"Lily, look. I-" Whatever Severus was, Lily didn't find out because just then, somebody stepped out from behind a tapestry. Lily drew her wand, but the person was just as quick and had the element of surprise.

A bright purple jet of light shot from her attacker's wand and hit her squarely in the chest.

She fell down, down, down…

**GAH! I am falling so behind on updates, but I have most of the next ones written. I promise that I will update as soon as humanly possible! And I also swear on my life that no matter how long it takes, I WILL NEVER abandon this story. I hate it when authors do that, and even the ones that I had to delete I haven't forgotten about.**

**Anyways, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Please, I love them and I can only get better with constructive criticism. I dare you guys to try to get in ten reviews for this chapter. So far I don't think you can, but I would love for you guys to prove me wrong.**

**Special thanks: BethMalfoy4922, alcatluvr13, lynnnnyl, Sarahrules336, and ItDidntMeanForever. Love you peoples so much for the wonderful reviews!**

**Your severely behind Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**

**AN: Just saw Hunger Games movie...AH-MAZ-ING. Jennifer Lawrence is such an awesom actress.**


	30. Dream vs Reality

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"I can't believe you. You were my friend!" Lily yelled, and Severus winced as if she physically hurt him. "I have tried to explain to my friends that you wouldn't do that. All this time you lied to me."_

_"Lily, look. I-" Whatever Severus was, Lily didn't find out because just then, somebody stepped out from behind a tapestry. Lily drew her wand, but the person was just as quick and had the element of surprise._

_A bright purple jet of light shot from her attacker's wand and hit her squarely in the chest._

_She fell down, down, down…_

**Dream vs. Reality**

"Prewett! Have you…" James stopped at the look on Alice's face. Her eyes were red, and she looked to be on the verge of tears. It was as if one breath would blow tiny Alice away. "Are you alright?"

Alice sniffed. "Lily and I had a little fight."

James laughed. "I thought you were the closest friends ever."

"Don't pretend like you'll never get in a fight with Black. You mark my words, the better the friends, the bigger the fights."

James shook his head. "I don't think Sirius and I could have any fights. We're best friends."

Alice smiled ruefully, looking very much unlike her usual cheerful self. "That's where you're wrong, James."

James was surprised at the use of his first name, but ignored it. It wasn't the first time Prewett had been serious and called him James, but it was certainly one of the few. "What happened between you and Evans?"

"Like it's any of your business, Potter."

_So we're back to surnames_.

"Excuse me?" A boy who looked vaguely familiar to James approached them cautiously. "Do you mind?" He held out a hand to Prewett, a clear gesture for asking to dance.

"No, not at all." James stepped away with a playful smirk at Prewett, "See you later, Prewett."

"Bye, Potter," Prewett said.

James saw a light blush creep up on her cheeks as the tall boy took her hand.

"May I ask your name?"

Alice looked taken aback but very pleased. "Alice Prewett. Yours?"

"Frank Longbottom. I noticed you weren't dancing, and I thought I might as well ask."

James ducked so they wouldn't see him laughing.

* * *

><p>"Cadmus, somebody's going to notice that Lily is gone." Severus tried to change Avery's mind, but so far he was getting nowhere.<p>

He looked helplessly at the dangling Lily. She was so beautiful in her little dress. Her dark red hair covering her face, the only face Severus could ever love. When she would awake, Severus knew he would not be able to escape her sparkling green eyes. Lily was the only person to ever have a hold over him, and she was _his_.

He had seen the way those dimwitted prats stared at her as she passed, and Severus felt rage sweep across his body at the memories. They would never care who it was, but he would make sure they didn't have his Lily. She was his and his alone.

"You know, Severus, if you keep talking like that, people will start to get the wrong idea for the Mudblood." Lycoris said beside him

Severus flinched, but he still lied effortlessly to cover his mistake. "The Dark Lord does not want his spies within the school discovered. Lucius said no trace whatsoever. I assure you that I do not care for the"- Sverus paused, forcing himself to say the word that so many of his friends called his Lily- "the Mudblood. She will get what is coming soon enough." Severus cursed himself for talking that way about Lily.

Cadmus nodded, obviously satisfied with his answer. "Let's have some fun with the filthy, little Mudblood, shall we?"

Severus watched, horrified, as Lycoris nodded greedily and pulled out his wand.

"I forgot that Slughorn needed me to talk to the person from the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers..." Severus ducked and then sprinted away from Lily. He would not be able to contain himself from stopping Cadmus.

Besides, Severus found himself hoping desperately, it wasn't as if they would do anything harmful to Lily…

* * *

><p>"Potter!" James saw Prewett hurrying towards him and Sirius.<p>

"Why hello, dear lady, how-" Sirius began before Prewett cut him off.

"Have either of you seen Lily?"

James frowned. "I know you're worried, but Lily would probably just want time to cool off." A trickle of fear crept into his thoughts at the thought of Lily at the mercy of a Slytherin like Mulciber, the vicious Death-Eater-to-be.

He shook his head slightly like he was flicking away an irksome fly. If Mulciber was stupid enough to go after Lily, he would end up as a tiny statue unable to do anything but sing soprano for a week. The only way any of the Slytherins stood a chance against Lily was if she was caught by surprise.

"I've been looking everywhere for the past hour, and she's not here. I thought that you two might be able to help since you know the castle better than anyone."

Sirius bowed. "I'm honored that the girls of Gryffindor have recognized our knowledge of the castle. It's about time."

"Sirius," James interrupted, "I think Prewett is serious that Evans might need help."

Prewett looked at him weirdly but let it pass. "Do you know how to find her?"

"Why, Ms. Prewett, what happened to recognizing our knowledge?"

"He means yes," James told her.

* * *

><p>"Wakey, wakey, little Mudblood," a voice taunted her, "I would like some revenge, and it would be nice if you were awake."<p>

Lily's eyes fluttered open. A face appeared above her, grinning evily. She blinked, and another face came into view. The first one, the face she had seen initially, was leering at her, and Lily could not suppress the shivers. The second was staring at her with curiosity.

"Well, well, well. She lives, unfortunately for her," the ugliest face she recognized as Mulciber said, grinning.

"Now both of them are awake. Good. I was starting to get bored," Avery said loudly. The cold stone pressed against her cheek as Lily twisted her head to see Mary Macdonald stirring four feet away.

Her head cleared at the sight of her friend's bloody face, and Lily felt her temper race through her like setting a stream of gasoline on fire. "What the hell do you want, Mulciber?"

Mulciber laughed coldly. "Has anybody ever told you that you have too big of a temper? Because you do; it's like you just need a match, and you explode." Mulciber stepped closer and leaned so their faces were only several inches apart. "But don't worry, we'll take it slowly. After all, we don't want you to catch fire too quickly. That would be no fun."

"Shut the hell up, you moronic bas-" Mary yelled suddenly, but she never finished.

"_Crucio!_" Mulciber yelled.

Lily yelped before she had any thought to process the Unforgivable that Mulciber had just used. A searing pain cut across her shoulder where Mulciber had hit her, but the pain stopped only a few seconds after it had started.

Compared to Bellatrix's Cruciatus, Mulciber's was like a bed of soft feathers. It was just pain, no worse than if she had fallen on it wrong, and it was nowhere close to the excruciating torture she had experienced when she was thirteen.

"You fool! What kind of curse was that? Have you been practicing at all on the animals Rosier has snatched?" Avery turned to Lily with the most unpleasant look.

The pain came again, more than Mulciber, but less than she had expected of the Cruciatus Curse. Tears started to form in her eyes, but Lily could surprisingly think through the pain. She knew that it was only through the inexperience of Avery and Mulciber that kept her from feeling the full effects of the dreaded torture.

Mary was yelling somewhere far away, and the agony was starting to burn. The fire continued, and little pricks were poking her skin, but the fire continued to build…

_Why did it always have to be her under the Cruciatus Curse?_

"Lily! Lily!"

_Was that Alice?_

"Lily, wake up."

_But the pain…_

"Lily, please wake up."

_No thanks._

"Lily Azalea Evans, if you don't wake up right now I swear that you'll regret it."

Lily moaned and blinked. Alice was leaning over her with her curls starting to form again.

"Alice?"

Alice grinned when she saw Lily's eyes open. "It's about time. You'd think that falling down a full flight of stairs would knock some sense into you, but noooo, your skull is just as thick as ever."

Lily lifted her hand to a dull throbbing behind her left ear. Something was off. Nobody would be act like this after what Avery and Mulciber had done, would they?

"Alice," Lily said slowly and carefully, "What happened?"

Alice sighed. "You were a klutz. You fell in two-inch heels on the stairs. Of all the places, Lily…"

"I tripped?" Lily repeated. She had no memory of any such stairwell, just Avery and his nasty tricks.

Or at least…was that what happened? A snippet of Avery's face and a flash of pain, but another memory was surfacing. Stairs…a twist of her ankle…

_God, I'm such an idiot._ She told herself, remembering the stupidity of missing a step on the stairs. The pain, was it the steps or something more sinister? Two conflicting images presented themselves side by side in her mind's eye, completely different.

_Klutz,_ Lily told herself.

But a small twist in her gut said something differently.

**As promised, here is the thirtieth chappie. I hoped you liked it and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Please, please, please, please. I need comments and feedback because I _really_ want to be a better writer.**

**I should have the next chapter up pretty soon.**

**Thanks for the reviews: lynnnyl, ItDidntMeanForever, BethMalfoy4922, Sarahrules336, freakingfantastic, alcatluvr13. XOXOXOXO**

**Your just starting to get on top of it Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**


	31. The Seer

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_Or at least…was that what happened? A snippet of Avery's face and a flash of pain, but another memory was surfacing. Stairs…a twist of her ankle…_

_God, I'm such an idiot. She told herself, remembering the stupidity of missing a step on the stairs. The pain, was it the steps or something more sinister? Two conflicting images presented themselves side by side in her mind's eye, completely different._

_Klutz, Lily told herself._

_But a small twist in her gut said something differently._

**The Seer**

_Skyrocketing Number of Disappearances and Murders:_

_Yesterday morning, Bianca Rawlings (53) was found dead in her Wiltshire home husband Harrison Rawlings and only living child, a daughter, Sage Rawlings. _

_Upon returning to their house early in the morning from a camping trip, Harrison and Sage Rawlings found the Dark Mark above their house. Mr. Rawlings reported to the Auror office while daughter Sage, a recent graduate of the Auror Academy and ex-professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, entered to find her mother dead. The Killing Curse is believed to be responsible for taking Mrs. Rawlings life._

_While the Killing Curse may have taken Mrs. Rawlings's life, the Death Eaters claiming to be responsible for the attack did not stop there. Mrs. Rawlings's body was sawed into at least ten different parts and littered the living room._

_Mr. Rawlings was removed to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries after temporarily losing his mind at the sight of his wife's mangled body. Sage Rawlings refused to talk to reporters except for letting them know that if they didn't leave, she would curse them all into oblivion with a couple of useful hexes she picked up at the Academy._

_Had this been an isolated incident, the Aurors wouldn't be spending as much time on finding Bianca Rawlings's killer, but in addition to London's attack earlier this summer, there have been unexplained disappearances of the few well-known Muggle-borns in the country._

_Vladimir Hoopeston, Chloe Crosse, and Faith Few have all been reporting missing. All three of them vanished from their homes shortly after saying good-bye to various Ministry friends. Hoopeston was a high-ranking member in the Minister's advisory board while both Chloe Crosse and Faith Few were teammates in a group working towards a cure for lycanthropy._

_In addition, several half-bloods and a small number of pure-bloods were murdered in the past couple of months. All of the dead were known for standing up against the Death Eaters and their ideals. Continue on to pg. 3 for fuller coverage of the nasty murders._

Lily slammed the paper against the table, fighting to keep her food in her stomach.

Sage, Lily's favorite teacher, had walked into a home that was supposed to be a safe, untouchable place, only to find her mother sliced up like a pig for eating.

"Oh no…" moaned Mary as Lily finished reading the article. "Poor Sage."

"Why would they even want to kill Rawlings's mum?" Alice asked in disbelief. She speared a piece of bacon with venom.

"Obviously Mrs. Rawlings was doing something that the Death Eaters didn't like," said Marlene as Lily focused on a single sentence in the paragraph.

…_and only living child, a daughter, Sage Rawlings…_

Sage had a brother still alive, she had said so herself. Lily had heard the exact words out of Sage's mouth. So why did the _Prophet_ forget to mention that little fact?

"I'll be right back," said Lily, standing up quickly.

* * *

><p>"What do you want, girl?" Madam Pince demanded as she caught Lily walking quietly towards the back of the library where all the old <em>Prophets <em>were kept.

"Just looking," Lily said evasively, and Madam Pince stalked away with her feather duster, huffing. Lily was a regular in the library and Madam Pince was easily placated.

Once Madam Pince was out of earshot, Lily looked to the towering pile of old _Prophets_.

"_Accio,_" she whispered.

The tower of newspapers teetered slightly, and then a yellowed, crinkled paper zipped right into Lily's waiting hands; she opened it without hesitation.

She started at the mention of _Jameson Potter (1846-1958_), father of Charlus and Lenovo Potter, husband to Cressida Potter, before she realized that she was reading Potter's grandfather's death announcement. _…Susie Ripper…Thurman Frasier…Miss Havisham… _

_Shiloh Rawlings (1947-1958)_

_Shiloh Rawlings, son of Harrison and Bianca Rawlings, brother of Sage Rawlings, was killed in an unfortunate Thestral accident. Shiloh Rawlings (11) and sister Sage (5) were playing in the woods near their home when Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings were jolted into action at the helpless screams of their children._

_By the time Shiloh's parents arrived, Shiloh was dead, and his little sister Sage was found shivering in a hollow tree trunk. Healers at St. Mungo's still have not been able to get her to talk. _

"_Obviously this little girl has experienced some horrific event, and while she may be catatonic for the moment, I am hopeful she will eventually make a recovery," said Healer Frita Jones, who is currently taking care of Ms. Sage Rawlings._

_While Sage has not regained her speech ability, she has been responding to certain people._

_Meanwhile, Shiloh Rawlings will have a closed-casket ceremony this Saturday starting at 11:00 a.m._

Lily leaned back against a bookcase and bit her lip, putting her head between her knees and closing her eyes.

She knew that Sage had a brother named Shiloh who was six years older than she was. Something had happened to her that supposedly killed Shiloh and left her mentally mute for Merlin knew how long, but Shiloh was still alive, hiding because he had _something_ that the enemy wanted. The siblings had used Stoughton as Secret-Keeper until Bellatrix murdered him; Sage had then come to teach at Hogwarts but left because she needed to keep a low profile. Only Sage and some woman named Darcie knew where Shiloh was.

So that meant…what?

* * *

><p>"I never really thought about Sage having a family," Alice admitted as the two girls sat in the dormitory late that night; Mary and Marlene were already fast asleep.<p>

"Well, there's her brother but that's about it," Lily mumbled sleepily.

"Her what?" Alice asked, and Lily froze: Sage had made her promise not to tell anybody, including Alice.

"What?" Lily said, hoping that she sounded confused.

"I asked you what you said."

"Did I say something. I was only agreeing with you."

"No you weren't. You said something about a brother."

"Oh! That… yeah, I was just wishing I had a proper family. You know, with Petunia and all…"

Alice glared at her suspiciously. "Lily Evans, you should know that while you're a good liar, you can't fool me as easily."

"Fine!" Lily said, and she winced; she was going to lie point-blank to Alice's face, the face of her best friend. "I was saying how we should focus on finding out what happened to me at Slughorn's Christmas party."

"Mary!" Alice said loudly, and the motionless lump that was Mary jerked awake with a start.

"…wuzzgoinon…"

"What happened at Slughorn's Christmas party?" Alice asked.

"Lily…Lil wuz cluumzzz… we dipped…on duh sairs…"

"See?"

"It doesn't count if Mary's half-dead," said Lily. "I want to know what happened."

"And I _am_ telling you what happened, Lily! Mary just remembered finding you on the stairs unconscious, and everybody got you up to the Hospital Wing. Why do you keep asking if I forgot something?"

"Because something else happened last night, Alice, and I'm trying to remember who." The bright moon shone softly against Lily's hair. After a night's sleep, Lily had only one image to go on, and it was vague and brief: someone leaning over her and a flash of pain. It was clouded by the oddly vivid scenes of the marble staircases, but Lily knew that the lone memory was the right one. The pain didn't come from falling down the stairs.

"You keep saying that, but nobody else was around. There is very little that could have happened in the amount of time you were gone. You know I trust you irrevocably, but sweetie, if it was a Slytherin, would they have just left you there after only a small amount of time?"

Lily sank back, stumped. Something had happened, something bad, and Lily wanted to know whom. The ever-growing curiosity gnawed in her mind. There was no proof to go to McGonagall, or Professor Dumbledore for that matter, and the person closest to believing her was sitting right across the table.

Lily leaned forward. "Just trust me on this, Al. Please?" she asked, her voice quiet and soft. Alice raised one eyebrow, surprised at Lily's change. It was unusual for Lily to suck up her pride and act like this, but when she did, it was only around Alice with the occasion of Marlene or Mary.

Alice squeezed Lily's hand, and Lily was thankful for the comfort. Alice took a deep breath and said, "Okay, something else happened last night. But how do we prove that?" That was it. No 'Wait to get off the potions.' or 'Did the house-elves slip you firewhiskey?'. Lily once again found herself incredibly thankful that she had run into Alice in Diagon Alley.

"What was Mary doing before she found me?"

"Why would that matter what Mary was doing?"

"Because she was the closest person and I highly doubt the people would have stopped for only one Muggle-born. And they were sloppy enough to do a shitty job of wiping my memory, so they probably didn't think about what Mary was supposedly doing when she found me."

Now both of Alice's eyebrows were raised. "That's deep, Lily."

* * *

><p>"Sirius, I have a new Target." James lay on his back fiddling with a Snitch from the Quidditch game last month.<p>

"Good job, Jamsie. Two weeks is too long to go out with a Target. Who is this fine lady I might ask?" Sirius said, casually throwing on a shirt that could come off in seconds and could lay on the floor for a bit, be picked up, and thrown back on while still looking sexy. "I myself have decided the Grace Moser will only have two more lucky times including today's."

"Lily Evans."

Whatever Sirius had been expecting, it had not been this. His jaw dropped, and he stared at James like he had just declared his undying love for Dolores Umbridge, the toad-faced girl from Slytherin. A small crash shook Sirius out of his reverie. Peter had apparently been listening and had tripped over the last stair in shock.

"Oh, she doesn't like you much though…" Peter tripped again and came up still babbling. "...I mean, the Potions incident in first year is only one reason why she hates you…"

For the first time in his life, James saw Sirius at loss for words until- "Are. You. Out. Of. Your. God. Fucking. Mind?"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, mate."

"The moment you ask her that, she will punch the living daylights out of you," the ever-concerned Sirius said. "And that's the best of options. She hates you."

"And that, my friend, is the reason she secretly adores me."

"Who adores you?" Remus said, coming up the stairs and taking a bite of chocolate.

"Lily Evans," Sirius said.

Remus choked on his chocolate. "Ex-excuse me?"

"Crazy, I know," Sirius added.

Remus stared at James. "How do you figure that?"

"I'm me. All the girls love me," said James cockily.

"That would be-"

"-insane-"

"-not smart-"

"-to declare her undying love for you-"

"-to ask her out. She'll-"

"-hex-"

"-punch-"

"-scream-"

"Go for it, James!" Peter squeaked, finally getting over the shock of James's announcement.

Both Remus and Sirius gaped at him.

"For once in your life, Pete, tell us your own ideas," Sirius said.

"Sirius," Remus hinted while Peter went pink. Remus turned back to James. "I'm just saying that Lily is more than willing to look past your appearance if all you do is bully and prank other students. She will never agree."

James shrugged. "Eventually she'll say yes, mark my words."

* * *

><p>"Who are we supposed to see?" Lily whispered as they shuffled down the snowy street. It was the Christmas visit to Hogsmeade, and the village was packed with shoppers hustling from one store to the next. Three Broomsticks was particularly busy.<p>

"Cassandra Trelawney lives on the outskirt,." Alice replied, pulling her hood closer.

"Who's that?"

"She's a Seer and a good one, but she's also incredibly old if my sources are correct. Almost two hundred or something."

Lily whistled. "Wow, so older than Professor Dumbledore."

Lily glanced behind her and thought longingly of Honeydukes and Three Broomsticks as the houses continued to get more and more miserable. Almost nobody was around now save for the occasional figure bundled in thick cloaks moving solo from house to house.

"Here we are," Alice announced, stopping in front of a tiny hut. A faint trickle of smoke rose from the ceiling, and a single candle flickered in the window. Other than that there were no signs of life anywhere.

"I suppose we should knock," Lily said, plucking up her Gryffindor courage.

The steps creaked, and Alice slipped on the ice as they cautiously tiptoed to the door.

Lily raised a fist, but before she could knock, the door swung open and revealed a frail, little woman. Musty, smelly shawls cocooned her, and at least a dozen scarves and hats exposed the few wisps of white hair remaining on the shriveled coconut of a head. Lily took a step back as the old lady peered up at her with protruding eyes a shade darker than her hair. The overall effect was slightly disconcerting.

The old lady smiled. "Ah, I wondered when I would be seeing you, Ms. Evans. You're friend, Ms. Prewett," she nodded at Alice who was frozen at the sight of her, "was wise to seek out answers from me."

Lily was taken aback by her manner. The words spoke of confidence, but the old lady's voice quivered with each sound.

"Yes, ma'am. We were hoping you could help us with some problems."

"Come out of that dreadful cold, and we shall talk." Trelawney ushered both girls into the tiny house.

The interior was much more different from the outside. An enormous fire crackled in the corner, providing instant relief to Lily's frozen hands and nose. A squashy armchair sat in front of the hearth with a rickety table to the side and a single crystal ball. A mismatched sofa sat just feet from the armchair covered in quilts and fluffy pillows.

"I have seen very few people for the past several years. Nobody can spend time for old Cassandra anymore." Trelawney seated herself in the armchair while Lily and Alice took the sofa. "No time for family anymore with all the young ones hustling and bustling about." Lily felt a pang of sympathy for the lonely woman.

Trelawney studied Lily and Alice carefully. "I sense an urgency within you. Something has happened, but you cannot remember-"

"Ma'am, is Sybil Trelawney related to you in anyway?" Alice blurted out, and she immediately clapped her hands over her mouth. Lily remembered the mysterious Ravenclaw girl several years above them. Divination was her favorite subject, but Lily had always had a hard time believing any of her predictions.

The old woman chuckled. "Dear Sybil, she does indeed attend Hogwarts. She has not unlocked the Gift yet. It runs in her, but it will only show itself very rarely. Tea?"

Lily gratefully the cup of scorching tea, feeling the heat counteract the still stiff fingers.

"I was wondering if you could help us regain my memory," Lily asked.

"Alas, there I cannot help you. I can only See into the future, not the past." Trelawney shook her head. "Give me your hand, dear."

Lily slipped her mitten off, and Trelawney's wrinkly hands enveloped her own. She gazed at Lily's palm for almost a minute.

"I fear your life will endure much hardship. Death and pain are just looming overhead, but whether your own, I cannot tell. You will face many trials… yes, yes, Death is coming sooner than you might think. But no… there is a spot of happiness. Through all the terror of imminent war, there is hope…" Trelawney's eyes glazed over as she stared at Lily's hand.

"War is upon us," she whispered. "Voldemort will rise with power a hundred times more powerful than Gellert Grindewald. Beware the Dark Lord, whose name shall be feared by wizards everywhere."

Voldemort, the name rung a bell. Lily flashed back to her first Welcoming Feast. Dumbledore had said something about that supposedly dangerous wizard.

"And you, Lily Evans, will play the most important part of all. No, not in life, but death. Your son…I think I see your son…yes, he will not succeed without your sacrifice."

"I have a son?" Lily's voice cracked. This was not one of Sybil's silly predictions. Cassandra Trelawney was not making this up.

"What war?" Alice asked. "You mean the Death Eater's rebellion?"

Trelawney's eyes snapped back to Alice. As if in a trance, she took Alice's hand. Lily leaned forward in anticipation.

Suddenly Trelawney yelped as if burned. Both girls jumped back in surprise.

"No, no, no, you sweet child…" Trelawney covered her head with her hands, "…such a terrible fate."

Alice went pale with fear. "What did you see? Do I die?"

Trelawney looked at Alice with tears in her eyes. "It is a fate worse than death, worse than death…"

Alice's face drained of blood, and she was now as white as the snow outside; she swayed on her feet.

Lily grabbed her hand and started pulling Alice towards the door. As sweet as the elderly lady was, she was starting to freak the girls out. "Thanks for the tea, Ms. Trelawney," she yelled over her shoulder.

Lily jumped violently as Trelawney grabbed her arm.

"My dear, listen to your heart. You have great courage, and your son will need it before the end. Never back down in the face of fear, and you will prevail. It may not be at the moment, but your courage will put an end to this evil gathering in all the dark corners of the world. Listen to your heart."

Lily didn't say a word as she scrambled for door with Alice hot on her heels.

"Remember: your courage will determine the fate of the war yet to come!" Trelawney called after them, her voice cracking from the strain.

* * *

><p>"Seriously, what happened to you two? You look like you've seen a ghost."<p>

Mary had desperately been trying to get Alice and Lily to open up about what happened in Hogsmeade. Lily only had said one-word answers for the other two, and Alice had yet to acknowledge anybody.

"It's just…" Lily was at loss for words. Scary? Weird? Depressing?

Marlene leaned closer. "Nobody's around. Talk to us, please."

"We saw Cassandra Trelawney," Alice stated. If Lily hadn't seen her lips move, she wouldn't have thought it was possible for Alice to be emptied of all emotions on her face but still utter a single syllable.

"The Seer?" Marlene whispered while Mary just looked confused. "You saw her? Let me guess: bad prediction."

"More like several terrible prophecies," Lily told her.

"I'm sorry, but who are you talking about?" Mary interrupted.

"Cassandra Trelawney was an extremely celebrated Seer a while ago. Her predictions almost were always right. It's rumored that the Department of Mysteries has a room full of her prophecies. I didn't think she was even alive."

"So her predictions come true?" Alice asked, her lower lip trembling.

"A lot of them," Marlene replied, cautiously studying Alice's cherub-like face.

"OI, Evans!" a voice shouted across the Great Hall.

Lily jumped at the sound of Potter's voice. "What the hell does he want?" she muttered under her breath as Potter strutted up the aisles with Black and Lupin trailing a little farther away, looking apprehensive.

Lily leaned away as Potter stood a yard away, giving her what was she supposed to be a winning smile.

The words that came out of his mouth formed the last sentence Lily had ever expected to hear from a Marauder. At first she thought she had not heard correctly.

"Go out with me."

**Okay, a little longer to make up for the short ones I've been posting.**

**freakingfantastic: I know I said that I would try to get more in James view, but when I was trying to write more in this chappie, I was coming up blank, but I _promise _that there will be more James-centered chapters later. It's just that right now I've been stuck in Lily-zone.**

**Other than that, what did you guys think? I've been letting you peoples learn a little bit more about Shiloh bit by bit. I'm planning on having the whole Shiloh thing explained a little while later. In the mean time, I'll be mean and leave you hanging :)**

**So if you guys didn't get it, Mary 'remembered' Lily tripping, and it was implied that she didn't know what she was doing before the incident.**

**REVIEW! I've been thinking that I might give the people who leave me extremely nice, long reviews full of advice and contructive criticism some small exclusive spoilers for Shiloh's story since I really, _really, really, REALLY_ need comments about how I can improve. I would love to be a better writer. For my regular reviewers (you know who you are), just ask.**

**Of course, if any of you don't want the surprise spoiled, just tell me, and I'll be thankful for the review all the same.**

**Anywho, the moral is please review. I really like them.**

**As always, thanks to ItDidntMeanForever, Sarahrules336, BethMalfoy4922, alcatluvr13, and lynnnnyl. Can't tell you how much I love you guys :)**

**Your just finished a long chappie for the readers specifically Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**


	32. The Justice of Detention

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"OI, Evans!" a voice shouted across the Great Hall._

_Lily jumped at the sound of Potter's voice. "What the hell does he want?" she muttered under her breath as Potter strutted up the aisles with Black and Lupin trailing a little farther away, looking apprehensive._

_Lily leaned away as Potter stood a yard away, giving her what was she supposed to be a winning smile._

_The words that came out of his mouth formed the last sentence Lily had ever expected to hear from a Marauder. At first she thought she had not heard correctly._

_"Go out with me."_

**The Justice of Detention**

"OH MY MERLIN! He is so annoying! NO MEANS NO!" Lily screamed for the fifteenth time in two weeks.

Potter and his little minions had charmed the silverware to dance the can-can and sing,

_Oh, Lily…Oh, Lily,_

_Won't you, won't you go out with me?_

_Every time you talk, it melts my heart_

_Every time you walk, it hurts my heart_

_Oh, Lily…Oh, Lily,_

_Won't you, won't you go out with me?_

And then,

_I love you, you love me_

_We're a happy family_

_With a great big hug and kiss from me to you_

Lily was close to ripping out her own hair at the Barney song. How Potter even knew the lyrics to a Muggle song was a mystery to Lily, but it was also one of her least concerns.

"Why are you laughing? You're supposed to be on my side." Lily was nearly crying with frustration by the time she escaped the silverware into her dormitory. Marlene followed her with her fist stuffed in her mouth to keep from giggling while Alice and Mary were howling with laughter back in the Great Hall.

"I am on your side. It's just that it's so funny."

"Gah!" Lily whirled around and caught sight of Potter surrounded by girls of all ages.

"POTTER! I'm going to _murder_ you!" Lily shouted across the room. Remus tried to shove said boy into the dormitory, but Potter seemed to have a death wish.

He faced the furious Lily with only a grin. "Before or after you say yes?"

"Get it in your head, Potter. I will not ever go out with you. I don't want you. I don't need you. Now leave me alone before you lose your lovely hair." Lily said, whipping out her wand.

Potter winked. "It's nice to know you love my hair."

"_Calvorio,_" she whispered, the incantation too quiet for anybody to hear, and the results were immediate.

"What hair?" Lily simpered, batting her eyelashes.

Potter raised a hand to is head, feeling nothing but a bald head, and, to Lily's immense satisfaction, yelped like all the girls around him. "Evans, what did you do?"

"Oh, don't worry," Lily smirked, "I think it's quite an improvement."

* * *

><p>"<em>Prohibius<em>," Lily repeated. "But what does it do?"

Severus bit his quill. "Well, if I've followed the rules correctly, it's supposed to prevent the targets from touching anything, so they'll usually wind up in the air because the spell wants them to be as far from every object as possible. You could try it on the Marauders. Since this is also non-verbal, they wouldn't be expecting it," Severus smirked at the hated rivals several rows down.

"Speaking of which, Lily, what did you do to Potter?" Severus asked as the Marauders, minus Lupin, huddled in a corner. Potter was wearing a hat with the little fluff balls hanging off the end of the flaps. The once black-haired boy looked up and noticed her and Severus, though he ignored Lily's friend.

He flashed a blinding white grin, which Lily wanted to wipe off his face very, _very_ badly. All it would take was one good hex and he was a goner. Her wand twitched in her hand as if it too wanted to jinx Potter into jelly so thoroughly he would be crawling up to the Hospital Wing with octopi covering his stupid face.

Lily jumped as she felt her parchment wiggle beneath her hand.

_Go out with me._

Blood rushed to her face in rage.

_No. Go find a desperate, lonely girl._

_Do you feel lonely?_

_Not at all. Now leave me alone._

_What about desperate?_

_Quite the opposite._

_You know you want to…_

_All I want is for you to stop asking me out. I will not go out with an arrogant toe rag like you. _

_If you keep writing to me, people might get the right idea… _

Glaring at Potter, she snatched up the parchment, crumpled it into a little ball, and conjured up a little fire.

"What's going on with you and Potter?" Severus asked, glancing between the two people. His eyes were carefully guarded and calculating. Lily had only seen that look when Lily talked about her Gryffindor friends, which was slightly confusing. Potter was the exact opposite of her friends.

"He keeps asking me out, the nerve of that git," Lily muttered. "It's been fifty-two times since Christmas."

"What did you say?"

Lily stared at him as though he had grown a second head. "No, of course. You think I'll ever go out with that twit?"

Severus visibly relaxed. "Good because I was wondering-"

Whatever Severus was wondering, Lily didn't have a chance to find out. A bang and white light exploded in the silent library, and she coughed as grey smoke swirled around them.

"Potter, what did you do?" a high voice squealed from the silhouette that she, until that moment, had assumed to be Severus.

"Severus?" Lily asked the shape as choruses of laughter erupted all around them.

"What?" the high voice squeaked. The smoke cleared, and it took all the self-control Lily had not to turn around and massacre the Marauders in one of her favorite spots of the castle.

Severus's hair had grown just a tad shorter than Lily's, and curled into a mass of black, greasy locks. It didn't stop there though. Bright red eye shadow had been applied to Severus's face so that he now resembled a clown along with a red stick-on nose that Severus tried to yank off but to no avail. A swipe of bright red lipstick finished the prank. Lily didn't want to look at his robes, because she was sure she would explode if she saw what else they had done.

Lily could almost feel the heat radiating off Severus's skin in embarrassment. If she could have, she would have cursed their sorry asses then and there, but her friend needed help getting out of this mess. Glowering at Potter, she hurried Severus out of the library, but not before she heard Madam Pince giving the Marauders what was bound to be their billionth detention.

* * *

><p>"Did you see his face?" Sirius gleefully snickered over a large plate of chicken. He took another huge bite, stuffing mouthful after mouthful in his face.<p>

"That git deserved it. I don't think he likes the idea of Lily finding another guy," James said.

Remus cleared his throat. "James, this may have escaped your notice, but Lily has turned you down every single time. I don't think she's that into you. By the way, Sirius, quit acting like a dog and eat civilly."

"Futfidifou?" Sirius asked, bits of food spitting into Peter's plate and face, and Remus winced in disgust.

James waved a hand casually. "No lady can deny her wants forever. Just give the woman another week, and she'll come around."

Remus shook his head, clearly exasperated at James and his tactics for girls. "So what did you guys find out?"

James and Sirius's demeanor changed abruptly.

The messy-haired boy cast a furtive glance around them. "_Muffliato,_" he whispered.

"Nice. Is that another of Snape's spells?" Sirius asked.

James shrugged. "I overheard him talking to Evans the other day. He might want to try his own spells if he wants to keep them to himself."

"We're done with the research," Sirius told the impatient Remus.

James nodded solemnly. "I think that we just have to start the process."

Remus paled. "So you're really going through with it. Because once you do, there's no going back. You'll break about a hundred different laws in the process, plus over a thousand school rules."

James didn't answer. Instead he withdrew a faded piece of parchment with one edge ripped and torn, obviously from a book.

Remus looked scandalized. "You ripped a page from a library book? If Madam Pince finds out, she'll suspend you for more than just a week."

James rolled his eyes. "You act like there is no such thing as magic. Back on topic- courtesy of the cloak, we got this book from the Restricted Section."

Sirius shivered. "I never thought we would be sneaking into the library of all places."

"Anyways, there is a book, _Dangerous and Difficult,_ and it details all there is to know about animagi transfigurations. I don't think anybody thought that school kids would try, but it's their loss. The potion takes several months to prepare, and it's the most difficult I've ever seen besides Felix Felicis. We can worry about the rest after the potion is complete. Part of the reason the Ministry oversees the transformations is because the potion is so easy to get wrong. So who is the best potioneer here?" James asked, looking around at the other three boys.

"The only people I could ever see attempting that level of magic is Dumbledore or Slughorn. I've heard the Ministry borrows Slughorn's potion making skills on occasion." Remus said.

"Fat chance tricking Dumbledore or Slughorn into making it for you. They'll know the potion the moment they see it," Sirius said.

James shrugged. "We only need a place and some time. We'll get it eventually. I think we should start practicing the spell next week."

Sirius sighed. "Wonder what it's like to have an ordinary life?"

"The same, except without this."

"It's a rhetorical question, Pete."

* * *

><p>Lily could feel her eyelids beginning to drop as McGonagall plowed on about Switching Spells.<p>

_M: Wake up, Lily, McGonagall's about to look your way._

Lily glanced at Marlene, who appeared busy doodling on a spare bit of parchment. Her friend gave no outward sign that she had sent Lily the message.

_M: Well, you going to reply or what?_

_L: I didn't think you were the one sending the note._

_M: Who else would it be? The wall?_

_A: I would._

_M: Go away, Alice._

_A: That's rude._

_M: Where's Mary?_

_L: Hospital Wing. She squabbled with a fifth year in Slytherin. _

_A: Who?_

_L: Don't worry about revenge. Madam Pomfrey is still trying to get the spoon out of his nose. Mary just wants an excuse to have another day to finish up the essay._

_A: See a Slytherin I can pick a fight with? I don't want to go to History of Magic._

_M: Who does? BTW: It's your turn to take notes, and my turn to sleep._

_L: We shouldn't do that anymore. It's irresponsible._

_A: You already take notes every class. _

_L: I'm just saying._

_M: No, sweetie. You lost the bet so you have to turn a blind eye for the rest of the year._

_L: I never did anything about it to begin with._

_A: Then what do you have to worry about?_

_M: Potter's staring at you. _

_L: Time for some fun._

_A: Whatever your planning, it's not going to work. You can't get anything like that past a Marauder._

_L: Watch me. I want some justice._

* * *

><p>"Potter! Black! For once in your lives, pay attention!" McGonagall shouted.<p>

Sirius winked at McGonagall. "Don't worry, Minnie, I was just complaining to my best mate how you never seem to declare your undying love for me."

"Unless you count a detention as an act of undying love, then you're misinforming Mr. Potter. Both of you, tonight, my office."

Sirius blew her a kiss. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, dear Minnie."

James, however, was not paying attention. He was staring at the back of Lily's head, imagining as many different ways as possible to ask out the redhead. He had never been turned down before, and James refused to be rejected by anybody, let alone Lily Evans. Call it stubbornness, but-

_Enjoying the view now, are we, Potter?_ James started as he saw familiar handwriting appear on his blank notes page. He could almost hear Evan's sarcasm in his ear.

_Why yes, Evans, it's quite attractive._

_I'm surprised. You've managed to contain yourself for five minutes. Finally got some maturity, have we?_

_Will you go out with me?_

Pause, and then- _no thanks. Deflate your big head a LOT, and then I'll promise to pause for three seconds before I answer no._

_Harsh._

_You asked for it._

_Actually, if you remember correctly, you started this conversation-_

"Ms. Evans, charming notes in class, I never would have imagined you. You shall join Mr. Potter and Mr. Black in detention." McGonagall said, sweeping up Lily's scrap parchment with their conversation on it.

"But, Professor, please-" Lily started, looking like a hippogriff caught in the middle of a snowstorm.

"Seven o' clock sharp, all three of you."

Lily glared at James who just smirked and blew her a kiss. "Look pretty for our first date."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe the nerve of that arrogant boy. It's like this is just a game to him, but he doesn't realize how much he is disturbing everybody here. One hundred and twenty times, but he doesn't take a hint. Completely clueless-"<p>

"Your keeping count? The number I remember is just a lot," Alice interrupted.

Lily went slightly pink. "It's kind of hard to forget when he writes '70th time lucky?' all over your current homework. Now I have two full hours of that prat and his sidekick."

"Hmm," Alice smirked at Lily. "And you've never thought that through all of this that he's just the _slightest _bit attractive?" She raised an eyebrow at her best friend.

She pressed her lips tightly together, but Alice's evil grin caused her to spill. "Alright, you win. He's cute-ish. Happy? But I am more than willing to look past that to see that all he is is a spoiled little kid who is used to having the world handed to him on a silver platter, and he is only paying attention to me because I'm the first girl to turn him down."

"Well, Mrs. Potter," Lily chucked a pillow at Alice, who dodged it, "you try to convince yourself of that, and let me know how your detention goes." Alice slipped out before Lily had another chance to use her as Pillow Fight Practice.

* * *

><p>"Ladies, first, Ms. Evans," Potter stood aside to let Lily pass. Lily did, but not before she gave Potter The Glare, who ignored it.<p>

Lily walked forward on shaking legs towards the front of McGonagall's classroom. No fires burned, save the ones around McGonagall's desk. Lily couldn't shake the feeling that she was kissing her prefect chances good-bye.

"Relax, Flower, this isn't your death sentence, so stop acting like you're accused," Sirius said as he flung an arm around her shoulders.

Lily expertly maneuvered around it. "Like it's any of your business, Black."

"Seeing as you, James, and I are in the same detention, it's completely my business for your bad mood to rub off on me."

"Oh, shut up, Black."

Lily raised her fist and knocked three times on McGonagall's office door. It flew open.

"Good afternoon. Take a seat." McGonagall said gesturing to the three. "To business. Professor Oggins has been looking for people to give the first years some first-hand experience of a wizard's duel. He was going to post a sign for volunteers, but I convinced him to let you three demonstrate the basic spells for a simple duel."

"Simple?" Potter repeated blankly. "I'm an excellent dueler, Minnie. Please, don't insult that."

McGonagall smiled. "As bright as you are, Mr. Potter, I assure you there are many things for more experienced wizards to attempt. I do not want to insult your intelligence, but there are some things better left for once you are older."

Was it just Lily's imagination, or did both Potter and Black shift their feet guiltily at McGonagall's statement?

"Professor Oggins just needs to show the first years some simple tricks, not the Patronus Charm."

"Banks talked about the Patronus Charm in our first year," Black blurted out, but McGonagall ignored him.

"Emphasis on _talked. _Anyways, you three will report to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom at two tomorrow afternoon where you will demonstrate a duel for the first years."

"Wait," Lily interrupted, "You mean duel each other."

"Yes, Ms. Evans. Though Professor Oggins will give you full details tomorrow. You're dismissed."

Lily turned and walked out of the office, a smile beginning to form on her lips. Never had she imagined that detention and justice would go together.

**Woo-hoo! Two chapters in two days. If you guys missed it, The Seer was just updated last night, and I added some stuff to the original story.**

**Not much to say except **

**R**

**E**

**V**

**I**

**E**

**W**

**Thanks: twilightstargazer, ItDidntMeanForever, Sarahrules336. **

**Your twice in two days Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**


	33. Dueling and Memories

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"Emphasis on talked. Anyways, you three will report to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom at two tomorrow afternoon where you will demonstrate a duel for the first years."_

_"Wait," Lily interrupted, "You mean duel each other."_

_"Yes, Ms. Evans. Though Professor Oggins will give you full details tomorrow. You're dismissed."_

_Lily turned and walked out of the office, a smile beginning to form on her lips. Never had she imagined that detention and justice would go together._

**Dueling and Memories**

"So let me get this straight. McGonagall is giving you permission to curse Potter in front of the whole school?" Marlene asked for the third time in twenty-four hours. "Without any punishment at all?"

Lily nodded. "Black's supposed to demonstrate the simple spells with Oggins, and then me and Potter will duel so they can see the spells put into action. All Oggins wants is for us to incorporate old spells with our knowledge, so the first years won't think that what they are learning right now is completely useless."

"Well, be careful, sweetie. He's a Marauder. You never know what they have up their sleeve. Alice agrees with me, don't you? Alice?"

Alice was not paying attention to the discussion between her friends, but rather a cute boy sitting a little further down the table.

"Alice?"

"Hmmm?" Alice mumbled, never taking her eyes of the boy who, by the looks of it, was fifth or sixth year.

"Alice!" Mary appeared behind the trio, fresh from the Hospital Wing.

"What?" Alice jumped and looked back at her friends while Lily tried not to giggle.

"If you're so infatuated with Frank Longbottom, then just ask him out to Hogsmeade," Mary said.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, blushing a deep red.

Lily found it difficult not to roll her eyes. "If you're not in love with him, then I'm a flobberworm."

"Anyways, Lily needs us to go over the spells with her," Mary said. "Your best options are the charms that Potter won't be expecting. They're used to just shooting off hexes and jinxes, but you could use charms to distract. He also won't be expecting the Shield Charm because he hasn't fought anybody who knows it yet."

Lily smirked. "Potter has already flaunted how much he knows. Being a bully certainly has its drawbacks. He won't know what hit him."

"Good girl."

"Mail's here," Alice said looking up. "I don't suppose there is anything worth looking at?"

Marlene's owl landed in front of her, dropping off a package and several letters. It flew away, knocking Alice's juice on her in the process.

Lily recognized her snowy owl, Marigold, soaring towards her with just the _Prophet_ and a letter. Lily caught them, and Marigold affectionately nibbled her ear before flying away. She tossed the _Prophet_ aside, and ripped open the letter, which she recognized as her father's handwriting.

_Dear Lilykins,_

_Thanks so much for your last letter, sweetie. That Potter boy seems annoying, but don't let it get to you. Are you sure he doesn't actually want to go out with you. Fifty times seems like a lot for a boy to focus on one girl._

_Petunia has a new boyfriend, and your mother is trying to get through one dinner without a mention of drills. His name's Vernon, but don't tell your mother that I told you he's an absolute pig. Any boy you bring home would be better than he, including the Potter boy. He is incredibly boring. All he does is go on and on about the drill company he is about to inherit. He hates football because he considers it an uncivil way to settle arguments. Please come home soon so I don't have to tear out my own hair._

_Don't tell your mother I said all of that._

_There have been some strange things happening around the country, and I was wondering if wizards had anything to do with it. Don't worry about us. We're healthy as horses, or would you say healthy as hippogriffs?_

_I love you dearly,_

_Dad._

_P.S: You're an Evans. Show that Potter boy what you're made of._

Lily giggled and folded the letter.

"Petunia has a new boyfriend," she told her friends.

"Really?" Alice asked. "What's he like?"

"According to my father, 'an absolute pig', and my dad would rather me date Potter than Petunia date Vernon."

Alice giggled. "He must be bad then."

"Hey, you guys, look at this," Marlene said, pushing Lily's copy of the _Prophet_ in front of them.

_**He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named: Gone?**_

_While many witches and wizards around the world have come to the conclusion that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is indeed behind the murders and kidnappings for the past several years, the Ministry has provided a surprising amount of evidence to the contrary._

_While the Dark Mark has since been associated with a dangerous group calling themselves the Death Eaters, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has analyzed data from many crime scenes. They now believe a group of Muggle-borns desperate for attention are responsible for the horrifying yet gripping crime spree-_

"BULLSHIT!" Alice screamed, and all of the students in the Great Hall jumped and stared at her.

"They can't honestly believe this, can they?" Marlene demanded.

"Stupid,"- Alice yanked the _Prophet _out of Lily's hands- "prejudice,"- she ripped it in half- "moronic,"- she ripped it in fourths- "useless,"- she crumpled it into a ball- "_bastards_!" Here, Alice threw it into one of the small fires.

"Dumbledore hasn't mentioned anything like this to us, has he?" Mary asked quietly.

"No, he would tell us if that was the case, and I believe Dumbledore much more easily than a bunch of idiot reporters, which means they must be lying," Marlene responded.

Lily glanced at Alice, wondering if she remembered the same thing. Trelawney had mentioned a Dark Lord, but Alice had been freaking out for most of it. She had said something about war, and Voldemort, whose name would be feared one day.

"I have to go." Lily said suddenly. She squeezed out from between Marlene and the third year sitting on her left. Trelawney had made a prediction about this. She said that it would be a hundred times worse than Grindewald, and Lily didn't want to witness that from the sidelines. Dumbledore had to know what happened at Trelawney's house.

"Your plate is still half-full," Mary complained as Lily ran out of the Great Hall.

* * *

><p>Lily skidded to a halt in front of the gargoyle that she knew hid Dumbledore's office, but she had just realized she didn't know the password.<p>

"Uh, Chocolate Frogs?" Lily asked tentatively. The gargoyle didn't move. "Cockroach Cluster? Ice Mice?"

"Ms. Evans!"

She jumped at the teacher's voice.

Professor Slughorn was waddling towards her with his giant belly straining the buttons of his waistcoat.

"Good afternoon, Professor. How are you today?" Lily smiled as Slughorn stopped in front of her.

"Quite fine, thank you. May I ask why someone like you has been sent to the Headmaster's office?"

Lily laughed lightly. "It's not that, sir. I'm not Potter or Black. I just needed to talk with Professor Dumbledore. It's important. Would you mind telling me the password?"

"'Course I can tell my favorite student the password. Hershey's Kiss. Apparently it is a Muggle sweet. Sounds weird."

"It's quite delicious, sir. You would like it," Lily said.

Slughorn chuckled. "Don't tell anyone I told you the password."

"Your secret is safe with me," Lily said as she climbed up the stairs.

A heavy door materialized in front of her, and Lily knocked, the sound reverberating around her.

"Enter," came a voice.

Lily pushed open the door and stepped inside Dumbledore's office for, she realized, the first time in her life.

She held in a gasp as she entered the beautiful room. Many little trinkets and devices sat on tables dotted around the office, and Lily didn't have the slightest idea what any of them were. Rows upon rows of portraits lined around the circular walls; some were looking at Lily curiously while many others were snoozing peacefully.

Dumbledore was seated on a high chair behind a magnificent desk, surveying Lily over the tips of his fingers. Lily did a double-take when she saw what was next to him.

On a golden perch sat the most beautiful bird Lily had ever seen. Scarlet and gold feathers shone in the brilliant sun, and the bird cocked his head slightly at Lily, giving her a look similar to Dumbledore. He was a phoenix, which Lily was sure of, though she had only read about them in _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them._

"Good morning, Ms. Evans. I trust you have a reason to excuse yourself from an excellent breakfast?"

"Yes, sir," Lily said, still transfixed on the phoenix.

"His name is Fawkes," Dumbledore said, noticing her preoccupation.

Her attention snapped back to Dumbledore. "Sir, I saw the article in the paper about the wizard." She paused, wondering how best to approach the subject.

"And you wanted to ask me about it?"

"Not exactly, sir. It reminded me of something that happened to Alice and me in Hogsmeade."

Dumbledore leaned forward with all of his attention on Lily. "Indeed?"

Lily shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "Alice and I were trying to figure out what happened to me over Christmas. Everybody said that I had just fallen down the stairs, but it didn't match up with what I remembered. It was like somebody tried to make me forget, but they didn't do a very good job. So Alice and I went to Cassandra Trelawney in Hogsmeade because we thought she might be able to help, being a Seer and all."

A slight crease appeared on Dumbledore's forehead when he frowned.

"She didn't tell us much about what had happened to me, but she did say some other things."

"What things?"

Lily fell silent, trying to decide how to approach the subject. A silent whoosh of air fanned several strands of hair across her face, and Fawkes landed beside her. He rubbed his head against Lily's hand as if encouraging her.

She felt the fear of the memory ebb away, and she pushed forward through her tale. "She said something about war being upon us, and how Voldemort will rise with power a hundred times more powerful than Grindewald. She also said something about fearing the Dark Lord, whose name shall be feared by wizards everywhere."

Dumbledore stood up suddenly, but Fawkes stayed where he was. Dumbledore crossed the room to a cabinet. Lily noticed that many more portraits were awake and listening to them now.

"I must ask you to do something for me, Ms. Evans," Dumbledore said. He threw out his arms and a shallow basin with strange runes inscribed around the edge floated over to the center. Lily looked at it curiously.

"I need the exact words she said about everything. I need to see the memory. Concentrate hard on the memory, and let it attach to your wand. Like this." Dumbledore withdrew his wand and tapped in to his temple. He slowly removed it, letting a silvery strand cling to it. He let the silver string fall to the bowl.

Lily gasped as she saw her own face swim on the surface.

"Your turn."

Wary, Lily took out her wand and concentrated on Cassandra Trelawney's house, and what had happened there. She remembered the fear of her prophecies, and Alice's face as Trelawney read her palm. She drew her wand away, feeling a strange relief settle over her.

The memory fell, and Trelawney's face disappeared into the swirl of countless memories.

"Thank you, Ms. Evans. You may go. Don't want to be late to your detention," Dumbledore said smiling.

Lily turned and hurried to the door, only glancing back once to see Dumbledore leaning over the memories and Fawkes still staring at her.

* * *

><p>"So you have seen several useful spells, courtesy of Mr. Black. Now it is about time you saw some in action," an old, wrinkled Professor Oggins told the class at large.<p>

Lily noticed that most of the first years had crowded the front rows. She supposed that even little first years knew about the rivalry between the Gryffindor fourth years. It certainly was no secret to most of the castle.

"Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans have kindly volunteered to demonstrate what you should be aiming to do in a couple of years." Oggins motioned Lily and Potter forward.

Potter winked at the first years. "But don't be down if you're still not at my level in your fourth year. It takes talent like mine to be this smart at this age. But don't worry. Evans will still be alive after I'm done."

Lily rolled her eyes at the idiot.

"On the count of three," Oggins announced. "One, two, three."

"_Calvorio!_" Potter yelled. Lily instantly recognized the Hair Loss Curse from the time she had used it on Potter. She assumed this was some legal form of revenge.

But Lily was much too quick to be taken by surprise. "_Protego,_" she calmly said. A shield erupted around her, and Potter's curse rebounded, causing Potter to duck as the light bounced back towards its owner.

Potter stared at Lily.

"_Densaugeo!_" he shouted. Once again Lily was not surprised to hear a spell the Marauders used to bully other students.

Lily ducked, and shouted, "_Flipendo!_"

Potter's eyes widened at Lily's signature jinx. He threw himself aside from the jet of light, and the spell hit Oggins' desk, which rocketed back and smashed against the wall. The wood shattered on impact, so all that was left were a few splinters of wood.

"Whoa!" a little Ravenclaw gasped; Lily was suddenly aware that they had an audience. All the better.

"_Stupefy!_" Potter sprang to his feet, and Lily had to use her Shield Charm again to keep from being stunned.

"_Expelliarmus! Engorgio Skullus! Locomotor Mortis!_" Potter cast hex after hex at Lily, but she dodged all of them.

Lily laughed at the look on Potter and Black's faces. They were stunned that someone could withstand their curses, let alone Lily. If they thought she was only book-smart, then they were in for a huge surprise.

"_Furnunculus!_" Lily yelled.

Potter ducked, and just as she was about to disarm him, Potter waved his wand and yelled, "_Silencio!_"

Lily felt her words catch in her throat. She opened her mouth but no sound came out.

"Speechless at my skill, are we Evans?" Potter laughed with Black. A bunch of the first years joined in. "Just admit I'm better and get over it."

_Never_, Lily wanted to yell so badly, but she was as silent as Fawkes had been. She felt her face burn with embarrassment. Potter was going to beat her, she realized. She couldn't believe that after everything, an arrogant prat like Potter was going to beat her.

Potter raised his wand to stun her, but Lily had an idea. Severus had told her that his spell was nonverbal, and this was her one chance.

"_Stup-_" Potter began, but Lily was too fast.

_Prohibius,_ she thought, slashing her wand in an arc in front of her.

A flash of white light burst forward from her wand, and suddenly Potter was in the air, straining to reach for his wand to perform the counter-curse, but anything that wasn't attached to him flew to the opposite side of the room. He yelled as he hung suspended in the air; James Potter was completely at her mercy.

"Bravo, bravo!" Oggins applauded. He waved his own wand, and Lily could speak again.

"There you have it, class! Off you go now!" Oggins turned his back to them as he ushered the first years out of the classroom.

"_Finite, finite, FINITE!_" Black was yelling in frustration while Potter just dangled uselessly, impervious to any counter-jinx.

Black turned to Lily, anger in his grey eyes. "You beat him. Now let him down."

"Fine." Lily waved her wand, thinking _Anthibius_, and Potter collapsed on the floor.

"How the hell did you do that?" Black asked while Potter scrambled back on his feet.

Lily smiled sweetly. "Why do you think I would tell you what spell I used?"

"Not the spell," Black said. Lily raised an eyebrow, wondering what else he wanted to know. "I was wondering how you used a hex nonverbally when nobody teaches those kinds of spells until sixth year. It's not something you can learn out of a textbook either since there's only one exception."

Lily tried to cover up the truth. Once the Marauders learned the jinx, nobody would be able to move three feet. "What's the matter? Sad that I beat you?"

She turned her heel and strode towards the door before Black could ask her any more questions.

* * *

><p>"It really worked? Prohibius really worked?" Severus said eagerly.<p>

"Yes, and you were right. It is a nonverbal spell. You should have seen the Marauders' faces. They did not expect me to use it. How could they? They don't even know it exists. And of course they wouldn't know that Anthibius is the only counter-jinx either." Lily laughed as she and her friend walked down the empty corridors.

Lily had just finished telling Severus about the duel, and he looked like Christmas had come early.

Scuffling could be heard near Lily and Severus. She stopped short and listened. It sounded like footsteps scurrying along the wall. For a brief moment, Lily thought she saw the flash of a shoe, but it disappeared just as quick. Lily stared at the spot of wall.

"Lily?" Severus asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lily said, shaking her head, "Just thought I heard something. You never know what the Marauders could be up to. So what other spells do you have?"

Severus glanced around them. "There is one thing I'm working on. It will take a little bit to finish, and it will take a lot of practice to perfect, but I should have it by next year."

"What are your summer plans?"

"Avery and Mulciber have invited me to a place in Scotland. Don't tell anybody I said anything to you, but their taking me and a couple of friends to a place a little southwest of Inverness. I'm going to spend several weeks there. You're not hearing any of this," Severus added.

But Lily could care less about that. "Avery and Mulciber? You're going to spend the entire summer with them?"

"Please, Lily. Their my friends, and I've spent all of my summers with you. It's only going to be for a little while. I'll still see you at school. Please, don't get jealous, Lily," Severus pleaded with her.

"I'm not jealous. I was just hoping you would stick around so I would have a friend to talk to while Petunia's boyfriend stayed at our house."

Severus bit his lip. "They're also my friends, Lily."

"That's what I say when you ask about Alice, Marlene, and Mary."

"Let's just focus on the way Potter and Black were humiliated. You should do that again some time," Severus said.

Lily whipped around. "I didn't so it for sport, you know. I'm not like them. I don't just go around cursing people left and right. I thought you of all people would know that."

"I do!" Severus hastily tried to cover up his mistake, but Lily saw right through his excuses.

"Never mind," Lily said, cutting across him. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I know what jinx Evans used!" Sirius rushed through the dormitory doorway where the three other boys were lounging on their beds. Remus was studying his Herbology notes. Peter was chewing his nails, and James was just resting with his eyes closed. They all looked up in unison.

"What?" James asked, snapping out of his daydreams.

"_Prohibius,_" Sirius said.

"Never heard of it," James said.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Duh. You're the last person Snivellus would tell about a new spell. I overheard Evans and Snape talking about it. It's supposed to be a nonverbal spell, and _Anthibius_ is the only counter-jinx that works, and it's also nonverbal."

"Excellent. Do you know how many pranks we can pull with this?" James grinned at the thought.

Remus exhaled and muttered, "Oh boy."

**Yes! Two chapters in one day!**

**Though I will no longer continue this story.**

**Unfortunately, I must say that I have decided to abandon this story. While I have loved writing this story, I just don't feel like continuing this story. been so much work, and honestly? I don't want to do it even though I promised that I would... HA! April Fool's! No need to worry, I'll continue the story :)**

**Review, please!**

**Special thanks to twilightstargazer, ItDidntMeanForever, Sarahrules336, and lynnnnyl.**

**Your fooling around Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**


	34. Some Things Shouldn't Change

**I'm not sure if all of you read the last chapter. I updated twice in one day. So if any of you readers want to, double-check to see if you only read The Justice of Detention or if you read that plus Dueling and Memories. I'll try not to update twice in one day again, but I had to be up at 4:30 in the morning for work with only two hours sleep (blame brothers who are extremely loud when they get home early in the morning, one at 1:00 and the other at 3:00), and I was working all three shifts with a bad headache and a sore throat, so I was too out of it to realize that I had updated already that day. Sorry.**

**PS: _Never _take all three shifts with only an hour break in between each one during the first day of Spring Break. The only upside is that I get paid extra for the morning shift.**

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"Prohibius," Sirius said._

_"Never heard of it," James said._

_Sirius rolled his eyes. "Duh. You're the last person Snivellus would tell about a new spell. I overheard Evans and Snape talking about it. It's supposed to be a nonverbal spell, and Anthibius is the only counter-jinx that works, and it's also nonverbal."_

_"Excellent. Do you know how many pranks we can pull with this?" James grinned at the thought._

_Remus exhaled and muttered, "Oh boy."_

**Some Things Shouldn't Change**

"Nice, James," smirked Sirius as he watched to latest attempt at James's animagus transformation.

James scowled as the two fur-covered lumps on his head disappeared and the hardened, black hands changed back to his normal skin tone. "Better than what you managed with that small tuft of hair on your butt. I still think you'll be a donkey."

"Say what you want. I'm going to be an enormous cave bear while you're stuck with a goat."

"Guys! I think I got it, I think I got it…aaahhh. I didn't get it. But my fingers were much smaller," said Peter as beads of sweat coated his forehead from the exertion.

"So is your brain, Pete. We're trying to work with what we know," Sirius snapped.

"Sirius," James warned. Then he turned back to Peter. "Great job, Pete." Here, James shot Sirius a pointed look, but Sirius didn't apologize.

"_Great job, Pete!_" he mimicked as soon as Peter left to go to the bathroom. "How is he going to become an animagus if he can't show us why he's in Gryffindor?" Sirius demanded.

Although James was rarely one to get angry, his hazel eyes flashed in irritation. "He won't be able to if you keep treating him like that, Sirius."

"It's not like he's done anything outstandingly brave."

"And you have?" James asked, his anger rising. Alice had once told him that there would eventually be a fight between Sirius and him, but until now James couldn't see how it was possible.

Sirius opened his mouth to respond, but he had to pause. "It takes a lot of courage to fight the Slytherins."

James snorted but said nothing.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Lily,<em>

_We can't wait for you to come home, sweetie. It's been so long, and I've been dying to hear from my baby._

_Your father and I were thinking, with the increased crime rate in the city, that it might be good for you to take some fitness and defense classes, seeing as you can't use magic outside of school. And I really don't like that there isn't a physical education requirement or something at Hogwarts._

_How is Alice? Jane told me that you two were facing some challenges this year. Are you keeping up with the schoolwork? Have you gotten any detentions ?_

_We'll be waiting at King's Cross station soon!_

_Love you so much,_

_Mum and Dad_

Lily's father had added something else to the bottom, and Lily read,

_PS: If you have gotten into any detentions, it better be because you were showing that Potter boy just how capable you are. Miss you, sweetheart._

_Love,_

_Dad _

"Come on, Lily. Train's ready to leave!" Marlene said, tugging Lily's arm across the grounds to where the carriages awaited them with the winged horses. "Alice saved us a carriage."

Right on cue, Alice opened up the door. "If you guys were any slower, you would be going backwards," she said as the four girls clambered into the carriage.

Lily moved to shut the door, but somebody grabbed hold of it, and Lily stumbled back.

"Nice of you guys to let us in," Potter said as the Marauders all hurriedly climbed into the carriage.

"Potter!" Lily snapped. "What are you doing?" as Remus and Black had to help heave Pettigrew into the carriage.

Potter just grinned. "Joining you lovely ladies of course."

The jerk that meant the horses had already starting on the way to Hogsmeade signaled that there was now no way to get rid of any of the Marauders. Lily sighed in defeat while Potter moved so she was practically sitting on him; Lily leaned as far away as she could, but she was on the end of the seat.

Alice giggled, and Lily growled at her. It might have been funny to an outsider, but to Lily, it was her worst nightmare.

"You going to try out again for the Quidditch team next year?" Potter asked Alice, wincing as Lily elbowed him for trying to throw his arm over the seat directly above Lily.

"Of course. Alexandra left year before last, and I like my spot. You think Kingsley will be Captain?" Alice asked. Lily kept trying to catch her eye, but neither she nor Marlene or Mary were looking her way. The only person who noticed was Remus, and he had his lips pressed together trying not to laugh at her.

Potter scowled. "I mean, I would be lying if I said that I wouldn't like to be Captain."

Lily laughed quietly, and Potter demanded, "You think I can't be Captain?"

"I think you could. The question is whether you would be good."

"I'm one of the best Chasers Hogwarts has. That says Captain enough, doesn't it?"

Lily glared at him, annoyed at his usual cocky demeanor. "No, working as a team says Captain, Potter. Where would you be if a Slytherin Keeper was blocking a shot and you didn't have any other Chasers to help you?"

"Well what do you know?" Black said loudly. "Our Lily-Bean actually pays attention to Quidditch!" He started clapping loudly, and Pettigrew soon followed.

"Shut it," she snapped again.

The horses slowed to a stop. Lily eagerly wiggled out from Potter's lap, but she stopped when she noticed that they were only just past the gates.

"Why are we stopping?" she asked nobody in particular, her anger fading a small amount.

Alice shrugged while Black stuck his head out the window.

"Somebody's inspecting the carriages," he said.

"What?" Lily asked, getting up and joining him. Indeed, there were several people stopping at each carriage with a notepad in each of their hands. They stopped for about two minutes before moving on to the next one, and several stayed at a carriage for a little longer.

"It looks like those people from Magical Law Enforcement Squad," Potter said. "I recognize those robes from when my dad would take me to the Ministry."

Now everybody was up and craning to get a glimpse.

"Why would they be here?" Mary asked, and just then a man appeared in front of them.

"Good day. My name is Billy Hale. I am from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad, and I need to ask each of your names," he said in a monotone.

Lily glanced around uncomfortably at her fellow Gryffindors. Potter, Black, and Alice were all glaring at the man. Pettigrew started chewing his nails, and Mary paled, her face fearful.

"May I have your names?" Hale asked. Nobody answered, and he repeated, "Names."

"Marlene McKinnon, Alice Prewett, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Mary Macdonald, Lily Evans, and Sirius Black," Marlene replied in a stiff voice.

"Blood-status?" he asked.

"Why?" Potter demanded sharply.

"Mr. Potter, you, Ms. Prewett, Mr. Black, and Ms. McKinnon are fine, but the rest of you, I need your blood-statuses. Mr. Pettigrew?"

"Half-blood," Pettigrew squeaked.

"Mr. Lupin?"

"Same," Remus said coolly.

"Ms. Macdonald?"

Mary's hands were trembling as she replied, "Half-blood."

"Ms. Evans?"

Lily crossed her arms and glared at the man. "Witch," she said, not bothering to hide the hatred she already held for the man. Alice burst out laughing at Lily's answer while she noticed everybody but Mary and Pettigrew smirking. Black actually gave Lily a thumbs-up.

"Ms. Evans, are you a Muggle-born or not?" Hale asked, irritation creeping into his voice.

"Yes."

"Date of birth?"

"Before today."

"Ms. Evans, I need your date of birth," Hale said angrily.

"Shouldn't you have it on record somewhere?" Lily simpered, throwing him a sarcastic smile.

"How would you rate your magical abilities?" Hale asked, deciding that he would get nowhere with the date of birth question.

"Enough to hex you," Lily replied, and Hale stared at her.

"Are you threatening me?"

"You wanted to know about her abilities, and she told you," Black snapped at the man. Lily caught his eye and allowed for a brief smile. Black just winked in return. He turned back to Hale. "Now your upsetting Lily-Bean. That's our right, and our right alone."

Never had Lily imagined Black actually standing up for her like this, and she was surprised. It was usually Lily standing up _to _Black and the other Marauders.

Hale focused on Black. "Mr. Black, I can assure you-"

"That you'll just continue to ask Lily stupid questions, failing to realize that Dumbledore wouldn't have admitted her to Hogwarts if she was a Muggle," Marlene interrupted him, and Hale's face was slowly reddening with anger.

"It is not in the place of teenagers to question the Ministry."

"Really? So that means I can't ask why you lot have been covering up Death Eater's attack?" Potter asked; Hale now looked like he had just gotten the worst sunburn.

"Have a nice day," he said stiffly, stomping away.

"'Enough to hex you.' I've always loved it when your anger is on somebody else," Potter grinned.

"Don't test my patience, Potter," Lily said, but her words were empty, and all of them knew it.

* * *

><p>"My house is big enough to brew the potion in secret. My parents learned long ago that it's not a good idea to try and navigate my room, and Dilly was ordered to let me clean my own room," said James as the Hogwarts Express rolled to a stop in King's Cross train station.<p>

"I can convince my mother to let me spend the last month or so at your house. Probably right after the full moon," Remus said.

"I'll owl you when I can come," squeaked Peter, and he scurried away to where his formidable-looking mother was waiting.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter were almost to where the three boys left stood, and James embraced Remus roughly. "See you soon, Moony."

Remus left with a light-hearted grin, something that was rare. Sirius leaned in close to James and whispered, "I'll probably be at your home sooner than you."

James snorted and lightly punched his shoulder. "Don't let them push you around."

* * *

><p>"Let me guess: Mulciber and Avery were laughing their heads off," commented Lily drily as she and Severus left Platform 9¾ for the Muggle world. Mrs. Snape had owled Severus that she was going to wait to pick him up since his father was in a temper, and Lily's parents were running late due to a dinner that the Dursleys had planned just as the train rolled into the station.<p>

So Lily and Severus had wandered their way into a small, empty park with motionless swings and a tiny slide.

"You know how they are, Lily," said Severus. He leaned down to pick up a dandelion. "For you." He handed it out to her.

Lily took it, a ghost of a smile of her face. For a moment she could forget all the things that were slowly pulling Severus and her apart; it was something that Severus would have done before they entered Hogwarts.

"Bet I can get more," Lily said with a long-forgotten sparkle in her eyes, remembering all their contests they had, like who could swing higher and who could catch a grasshopper first.

Severus must have realized what she was doing because he echoed her smile. "Whoever gets the most before our parents get here wins."

"Ready, set, go!" Lily laughed, and she bent down, scooping up dandelions by handfuls at a time. The two ignored the odd looks they got from Muggle passerby, but they would have received much weirder looks if any Hogwarts students had been there.

The contest had taken them to the edge of the park, both of them with enough dandelions separately to circle around the park five times.

"I count…a lot," giggled Lily. "What about you?"

"I think I lost," said Severus. He counted them by ten, and Lily did the same. The process took them at least ten minutes.

"Three hundred and fifty-six," said Severus.

Lily looked at him, grinning, "Three hundred and eighty-four. I win."

"Lily!" Lily saw her mother waiting in the parking lot with her father behind the wheel.

"I have to go," Lily said sadly. "See you later." Lily had purposefully left out saying 'see you at Hogwarts' because she didn't want to think about Severus spending a whole summer with Mulciber and his father.

"Bye," he responded glumly.

Lily threw him one more regretful glance before getting into the car.

**So I was going back over my story, and I realized that I didn't have as many Lily/Snape friendship scenes besides those in the beginning. I concluded that the OWL incident wouldn't be as strong if I didn't show well enough that they really were best friends. Hope you liked that little dandelion scene :) **

**Anyways, review because I would love to know what people think of my story so far.**

**Thanks to my reviewers: twilightstargazer, alcatluvr13, and ElPotato101 (I couldn't respond to you because your PM is not enabled, but I would just like to say thank you for the review.)**

**Your out of it Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**


	35. Dinner with the Dursleys

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"Lily!" Lily saw her mother waiting in the parking lot with her father behind the wheel._

_"I have to go," Lily said sadly. "See you later." Lily had purposefully left out saying 'see you at Hogwarts' because she didn't want to think about Severus spending a whole summer with Mulciber and his father._

_"Bye," he responded glumly._

_Lily threw him one more regretful glance before getting into the car._

_Fifth Year_

**Dinner with the Dursleys**

"Lily, do something with your hair!" Petunia snapped as the doorbell rang. Lily's sister was currently wearing a pink dress with frilly edges. Her hair was curled to perfection without a single strand out of place, and her makeup had been applied with an expert hand.

Lily didn't know whether to laugh at her sister's ridiculousness, cry at her hopelessness, or puke at the ugliness of the dress.

In contrast, Lily had picked out a white summer skirt and had thrown a light blue top over it, and she wasn't about to go upstairs and change, no matter what Petunia said.

"Daddy, they're here!" Petunia trilled as Lily saw her dad roll his eyes when Petunia had turned her back. Lily's mother slapped his arm.

After hearing about Vernon for the past week, Lily had prepared herself for the worst. Both she and the rest of her family were hosting a dinner for the Dursley family, including Vernon, his sister Marge, who all the Evans family had yet to meet, and his parents.

"Try to be as polite and nice as you can, Daddy. I want them to like all of you." She glared at Lily, silently warning her to not screw up what was bound to be the most boring dinner in the history of both wizards and Muggles; Lily childishly stuck out her tongue.

"You're not just going to lay low, are you, Dad," Lily whispered.

"Hush, Lils, Petunia wants this to be perfect, and I will try my hardest to give her that."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Of course she does."

Her father smiled fondly and patted her hair. "You are a true Gryffindor. Show your bravery by withstanding a dinner with the Dursleys."

Lily forced her lips into a painful smile. "I'll try, Daddy."

"Good afternoon," Lily's mother said in the doorway, "You must be the Dursleys. I'm Rose Evans. This is my husband, Richard, and my youngest daughter, Lily."

At first, Lily thought that several gorillas were standing in the doorway, but that couldn't be right because there was a lot less hair. She then realized that the large hunks were none other than the Dursleys.

"Afternoon," the largest man strode forward and shook Lily's mother's hand firmly. "Name's Dudley. Dudley Dursley." Dudley Dursley's piggy little eyes roamed the little house greedily, taking in every little detail like he was looking for ways to criticize Lily's home. His giant face was very red and flushed like he had just finished a marathon, but Lily doubted that the man had ever ran so much as a mile in his life. The bushy mustache covered what little neck he had, while his suit was impeccable, not a single speck of dust.

"Barbara Dursley," a high-pitched girly voice said from behind her husband. Though the smallest of the four, she was still quite large. Lily remembered Barbara Smith from Hufflepuff with her cheery smile and easy-going ways, but Barbara Dursley was the exact opposite. A business grimace plastered on her chubby face, she was everything _but_ cheery and easy-going.

"'M daughter, Marge," Mrs. Dursley said, waving her hand behind her to a squat girl a little older than Lily but younger than Petunia. The dress she wore stretched at the buttons and was a disgusting shade of orange, competing with even Petunia's outfit.

Marge nodded, glaring at Lily who stared back unwaveringly until Marge looked away. Lily could already tell the Dursleys were more arrogant than all the Marauders put together, and she refused to allow them to walk over her.

Just let them try.

"Vernon!" Petunia squealed, and she threw herself against a whale of a man almost exactly like his father. "It's been so long!"

"Now, now, Petunia. We have an entire evening to get to know each other," Mrs. Dursley said in a falsely sweet voice.

The only thing Lily could do was hope the dinner wouldn't be a total disaster.

* * *

><p>"Why is this not working?" James growled as he poured over the potions recipe in his bedroom.<p>

"Don't ask me. I don't know any more than you do," Sirius said, tossing a Fanged Frisbee around, watching it snarl and snap at everything.

Remus lowered his book. "You've been trying for the past several weeks. Are you sure that you don't need help?"

James looked up at the werewolf. "Who can we ask? The moment Slughorn or Dumbledore see this recipe, they'll know exactly what we're doing, and we'll go straight to Azkaban. That's not my ideal detention."

"You guys are already risking Azkaban," Remus pointed out.

"But it's different because we would be telling them straight up that we're trying to become illegal animagi."

Remus sighed. "Maybe we should wait until we get back to Hogwarts. You never know if you'll get some kind of genius flash or something."

Sirius snorted. "I'm already a genius."

"Once we get done with the transformations, have any of you given thought to how we will get around without anybody noticing us?" Peter piped up.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "How can you say that after four years at Hogwarts? We've only been caught about twenty percent of the time."

"Pete's right, Sirius," James said, trying to save his friend from what was bound to be certain embarrassment. "We need to come up with a way of seeing people before they come, particularly Snape."

Sirius laughed out loud. "Snivellus still has yet to catch us at anything, the little slime ball. _He _should be afraid of _us_."

"We should still do it. Think about what we could do with something like that," James said.

"Something like what? You're just going to charm us a super magical map or something?"

James shrugged. "We could create a map that shows what everybody is doing."

"I second that," Peter said, jumping up and raising his hand.

"Sit down, Pete. You're not in a classroom." Sirius waved Peter away. He sat down, dejected. "It isn't enough for you to focus on just one hard task at a time."

"I thought you said nothing was ever difficult for you," Remus said wryly.

"Ha ha, isn't our Moony the jokester. Fine, but let's focus on the animagi transfigurations first," Sirius said.

"Boys!" Mrs. Potter yelled from downstairs. "Hogwarts letters are here!"

"Coming, Mrs. Potter," Sirius called back. He turned to his friends, grinning. "Five galleons for Moony being Prefect."

"I've decided to not bet against the obvious," James said. "Race you downstairs for first plate of Dilly's biscuits."

The four rowdy boys all ran for door with James and Sirius in the lead. Sirius pushed James aside for the battle of the grand staircase, but James swung his leg over the rail and slid down the banister, smirking at Sirius as he passed. A panting Peter brought up the rear.

"Well, aren't you four eager for school," Mrs. Potter smiled as they quickly filled the table and reached across the rest of the food for the Potter's house-elf's homemade, fresh from the oven biscuits and gravy.

"As much as the school loves me, Mrs. Potter, I'm much more excited for Dilly's cooking," Sirius said. "Great job as always, Dilly!"

"Master Sirius is happy with Dilly's biscuits?" the house-elf tottered into the dining room, dressed in a clean, white towel fashioned into a toga.

"Of course he is, Dilly. Could you get the juice brought out?" Mrs. Potter said.

Dilly bowed low and disappeared with a crack.

"Letters for each of you," Mrs. Potter said, pointing to the four envelopes addressed in green ink. "We can head to Diagon Alley next week to pick up your things."

"Well, I'm not prefect," Sirius noted while examining the inside of his letter.

"Who in their right mind would make you prefect. What chance did you think you had." James replied, ripping open his own letter.

"About as big of chance as you have at being Head Boy. Did you get the badge, Moony?"

"It's right here," Remus said, showing them a flashing red badge stamped with a gold lion and the letter P.

"Excellent, Moony! This means one less person of authority trying to put us in detention," James yelled. He held up his hand for a high-five, but Remus snickered.

"I'm a prefect. It's my job to put you in detention."

"But Mooooony," Sirius moaned. "You're a Marauder first."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Just don't let me catch you on my rounds with the other Gryffindor prefect."

"Speaking of which, who's the girl prefect?" James asked.

"You dearly beloved, Ms. Lily Evans," Sirius sang, batting his eyelashes. "Don't get too cozy with Lily-Bean, Remus, or Jaime will have your head."

"Not cool, Sirius," James said, and he chucked part of his biscuit at Sirius, who effectively dodged it.

"It's on, Jamie!" Sirius leapt up and threw his bowl of corn flakes. James ducked, causing it to smash against one of the many cabinets full of goblin-made jewelry.

* * *

><p>"So then Vernon manages to call up the lawyer to settle that complaint. I'm telling you, this man will be an excellent manager one day. The ease he has when dealing with those kinds of situations is astounding."<p>

Lily rested with her hand cupping her face, twirling her pasta around her fork. Anything would be better than sitting at this table with the Dursleys. Since when did calling a lawyer about an angry man count towards something just short of heroism?

Petunia's high, false laugh rang throughout the dining room, and it was sorely tempting for Lily to cover her ears childishly. She found herself thinking longingly of Alice's home with her sweet parents and no depressingly dreary Dursleys. She would kill to have Potter ask her out in his annoying ways just for something to do.

"So what do you do again? Vernon told us you're some sort of tutor or something?"

"I'm a kindergarten teacher. Just ten minutes away in a local public school."

Mr. Dursley raised an eyebrow. "Ah, and you, Richard?"

"I'm an engineer."

"Respectable positions, the both of you. I know that having one daughter like Lola can cost you more money than you can spare, but I want all of you to know you have our deepest sympathies and-" Vernon started, but Lily cut across him.

"Lily."

"Beg your pardon." All four of the Dursleys stared at her, but Lily glared right back.

"My name is Lily, like the flower," she said, her voice tight.

"I was speaking, in case you haven't noticed. I would have thought that kind of school was supposed to deal with your people."

"My people? And what kind of people are _my_ people, may I ask?" Lily asked in a dangerously sweet voice. Both of Lily's parents were glaring at the Dursleys, particularly Vernon, while Petunia was looking anywhere but her family.

"Mentally disturbed people. Weirdoes. Lunatics, the like. At least that is what Petunia explained-"

_Snap!_

All eight people jumped as Vernon's glass shattered into tiny glass shards.

"I think you need to leave right now, Lily," Petunia said quickly. She alone was not staring at the spot where Vernon's glass had been.

Lily paid her no attention as she was too busy trying to keep her anger from getting the better of her. So Petunia had already painted her as a lunatic for anybody else to wonder what happened to the youngest Evans daughter. Her fingers were shaking with suppressed rage.

"My goodness, dear!" Mrs. Dursley cried. "I think we better come back when Lori is not in one of her fits. Petunia has told us all about them." Without another word, three of the Dursleys hurried out without another word. Vernon paused just long enough to mouth an apology at Petunia before scampering after his family.

Lily watched them leave without any remorse.

"How could you!" Petunia shrieked, rounding on the witch and shocking both Lily and her parents with the unexpected outburst.

"All I asked for was _one_ evening where you didn't screw anything up with your defect. Is that so much to ask? I needed them to like me. Who knows if Vernon will ever want to see me again? You scared them off, you little witch!"

"MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE YOU SAID THOSE THINGS ABOUT ME!" Lily screamed. "If you hadn't told them all those lies, then they wouldn't have been scared for nothing." Lily reflexively whipped out her wand before remembering that Petunia wasn't Potter in Hogwarts. She was her sister.

"Lily, Petunia, go to bed," Mr. Evans ordered, but both of his daughters ignored him.

"All you ever care about is yourself. '_I'm this, and I'm that. Oh, Lily, don't do that because I don't want to look like the complete bitch I am.'_ I have had enough of your whining, Petunia. Now shut up before I curse you into next week."

Petunia gasped. "So somehow, again, you've managed to-"

"ENOUGH!" Mr. Evans roared at his two daughters. "We will deal with this tomorrow."

"We will deal with this now!" Petunia yelled. "If she going to follow in that freaky cult, then she should leave and never come back."

Silence.

"Petunia!" Mrs. Evans gasped while Lily stared at Petunia. "Never say that to your sister again."

"We aren't sisters, Mum. We haven't been a family for years," Lily said coldly. She stared straight into Petunia's eyes as she said, "Petunia made sure of that."

Without another word Lily ran up the stairs and slammed the door shut, ignoring her mother's pleading. She sank into a little ball, her back against the door.

Lily was never one to cry easily. She had rarely cried when she was a baby, she didn't cry when Petunia purposefully broke her Christmas present for Severus when she was nine, she didn't cry during all those times the Marauders had teased her and Severus. The only time she had actually _cried_ was the night Stoughton was killed and she had fallen victim to the Cruciatus Curse.

But now, for the first time in years, Lily sat there and sobbed until she felt like a wrung sponge.

**Fifth Year is here! Da dada daaaa!**

**I always thought any contact between Lily and the Dursleys would be completely chaotic, so I wanted to first impressions to be terrible. Classic Wizards vs. Dursleys :)**

**So... anywho... please, REVIEW! It made me so happy when I looked at my inbox and saw 7 reviews!**

**As always, I would like to thank my reviewers: alcatluvr13, lynnnnyl, twilightstargazer, Sarahrules336, ItDidntMeanForever, dbquills (The dbq of your penname reminds me of DBQs that I have to write in school) , and prongs4evr (I couldn't respond to your review, but I would just like to say thank you!)**

**Your happy happy Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**


	36. The Mask of a Friend

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"We aren't sisters, Mum. We haven't been a family for years," Lily said coldly. "Petunia made sure of that."_

_Without another word Lily ran up the stairs and slammed the door shut, ignoring her mother's pleading. She sank into a little ball, her back against the door._

_Lily was never one to cry easily. She had rarely cried when she was a baby, she didn't cry when Petunia purposefully broke her Christmas present for Severus when she was nine, she didn't cry during all those times the Marauders had teased her and Severus. The only time she had actually cried was the night Stoughton was killed and she had fallen victim to the Cruciatus Curse._

_But now, for the first time in years, Lily sat there and sobbed until she felt like a wrung sponge._

**The Mask of a Friend**

"I would say an antelope."

"No, I'm leaning towards deer."

"I still say antelope."

"What are you talking about? That's obviously a deer."

"Hmmf," Sirius grumbled, crossing his arms at Remus while James sat gasping on his bed.

He had come much further than either Sirius or Peter, finally managing to grow a tuft for a tail. His hands had changed into hooves, and he had grown a small but very defining set of antlers while dark brown fur covered his body.

Though the transformation had happened too quickly for James to see, Remus had assured him that he was close; Sirius just pouted that he was still better, but his cave bear took longer due to simple "die-sticks".

"I think you mean to say physics, Sirius," said Remus, rolling his eyes. Sirius may have been in Muggle Studies, but that didn't mean that he remembered everything.

James stuck his tongue out at Sirius. "I'm better. Just admit it, you big baby."

Sirius growled, and began muttering the spell under his breath. After five seconds, his ears elongated and became floppy, and a tail soon grew out. James watched as Sirius's fingernails transformed into claws, but everything was over just as soon as it had started.

"Hate to break it to you, Sirius, but I don't think that you're a cave bear," said Remus.

"What?" Sirius asked, scowling.

"You have a longer tail, and your ears don't stick up. Your turn, Peter," said Remus.

Peter nodded and, trembling, started to recite the incantation. Not much happened, except that his hands shriveled and shrank, and his nose stuck out much more. He went back to normal and sighed.

"Great job, Pete. You'll get it soon enough," James said. "Right, Sirius?"

"Yeah, good job," said Sirius flatly after several seconds, in a tone that could only fool Peter, who was blind enough by his need for acceptance to think that Sirius was sincere.

"You're just going to need a little help, Peter. I'm sure that with all of our help, we can make you… whatever you'll become," said Remus. As usual, his words made up for anything Sirius had done.

* * *

><p>"Three miles in thirteen minutes, Marigold. New best time," Lily said, popping an owl treat into the air, which Marigold happily snatched and ate with a satisfied hoot.<p>

Lily threw a clean shirt on, tying her wet hair up so the shirt wouldn't get wet right after she had just showered. Lily quickly threw on a pair of shorts.

"You know, I think Mum might be right. I think that having some Muggle ways will help. It's not like any Death Eaters are going to expect me to throw a punch before the end of the battle."

Marigold clicked her beak in agreement, and Lily just stroked her feathers.

"Ugh. One… no, _two_ little beasts in here! I should call the animal control or something," Petunia laughed coldly from Lily's doorway, and Lily didn't even turn around to acknowledge her.

"I never thought you wanted them to know where you were, Petunia."

"You think you're so smart, Lily," she snapped.

"At least I can think."

"Doesn't meant that you're smart."

"Compared to you, I'm M-Einstein," Lily said calmly. She had almost said Merlin, but changed her mind at the last second. The words would mean nothing to Petunia if Lily was the only one who knew what they meant.

Petunia sniffed loudly. "Whatever makes you happy, Lily, but Mummy says dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes. She just sent me up here to make sure you had cleaned up after your run." Petunia wrinkled her nose. "As if you'd ever be rid of that mucky hocus-pocus that contaminates you."

Petunia left before she had even finished her sentence, but Lily wouldn't have had a response either way. It was so close to what the Slytherins had said when she had the misfortune to run into them.

Lily sighed and curled up on her bed. She would never fully belong to the Wizarding world, where she was mocked and humiliated on a regular basis by the prejudice pure-bloods, but she was forever alienated by the Muggle world, where she was forced to hide her talents and reminded everyday by Petunia that she was different.

"You're so lucky that people don't hate you for what you are," Lily said softly as Marigold perched herself near Lily's head.

* * *

><p>"Three more people dead this week," said Mr. Evans, setting down the newspaper. "They think that it may be some kind of organization or something. It's clearly too much for one person."<p>

"How did they die?" Mrs. Evans asked.

"They say that the killers must have put something into ventilation because there are too many gas leaks for it to be a coincidence-"

_Knock, knock, knock!_

"Petunia, will you please get that!" Mrs. Evans said.

"Yes, Mummy," Petunia answered.

Lily could hear Petunia's heels clacking against the wood as she approached the door. There was a small click and the swoosh of the door opening.

"Hello, sir. Can I help you?"

A gruff voice answered. "We need to speak with Lily."

"Of course," came Petunia's stiff reply; she was always annoyed whenever people wanted to speak to Lily and not herself. "Is she in trouble?" Only Lily could make out the hopefulness in her tone.

By now, both Lily's parents were at the door, and Lily was cautiously peering at the strangers behind them. There were two of them. A tall man with a bushy beard and graying hair stood in front of Petunia. Behind him was a woman, perhaps thirty-five, tall though not as the man, with stick-straight blond hair. Neither were familiar.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure we know you," Mr. Evans said, stepping forward. He glared at the man as if daring him to try anything around his family.

The man looked to the woman, and she stepped forward with confidence. "Here," she said, holding out what looked like a blank piece of paper.

"I don't-" Mr. Evans started, but he looked at the paper only once before saying, "Of course. Lily?"

Lily felt her heart leap as she saw a glazed look enter the eyes of both her parents and Petunia. She reached for her wand; she hadn't seen the woman pull out her wand, but Lily wouldn't be surprised if the paper was already spelled. Whatever the people had done, it wasn't to help her family.

"Perhaps you should wait in the living room," said the woman. "Make sure you can't overhear us."

"No!" Lily moved forward, but her family was already out. She whipped her wand out and pointed it at the man and woman, a curse already on her lips.

Just as she opened her mouth, the woman held up her hands and said, "It's me, Lily! It's me! Listen, we don't much much time before the Death Eaters get here."

Lily didn't relax the slightest; it could still be some kind of trick. There was no telling in the Wizarding world what sort of things people could do.

"I'm sorry, but I still don't recognize either of you," Lily said suspiciously, pointing her wand from the woman to the man and back again to the woman. The threat of the two unknown people in front of her were greater than some announcement that she still had time to escape, if there really were Death Eaters close by.

"You don't know him, but you know me. I don't know how to let you know who we are without names besides telling you how hard it is to produce a Patronus, which is like asking a Muggle kindergartener to explain quantum physics to Harvard students."

The line stirred something in her memory, and Lily gasped when she pulled up the face that came along with it.

It was Sage Rawlings.

**I told you that wouldn't be the last time you saw Sage, my dear readers :) A nice little surprise, which I hope none of you were expecting because I just felt like... I don't know, it should be a surprise for the first time you see Rawlings again.**

**I know that it's a shorter chapter, but I was mean enough to leave you guys with a cliff-hanger. Don't worry! The next chapter should be up by sometime tomorrow. (I'm not that mean)**

**So what do you think of Rawlings's reappearance, and who is that mysterious man with her? REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**Thank you to ItDidntMeanForever and lynnnnyl for the reviews from last chapter!**

**Your mean Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**


	37. Cruel Enemies

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"I'm sorry, but I still don't recognize either of you," Lily said suspiciously, pointing her wand from the woman to the man and back again to the woman. The threat of the two unknown people in front of her were greater than some announcement that she still had three minutes to escape, if there really were Death Eaters close by._

_"You don't know him, but you know me. I don't know how to let you know who we are without names besides telling you how hard it is to produce a Patronus, which is like asking a Muggle kindergartener to explain quantum physics to Harvard students."_

_The line stirred something in her memory, and Lily gasped when she pulled up the face that came along with it; she now knew who the woman was beneath the disguise and secrets._

_It was Sage Rawlings._

**Cruel Enemies**

"S-"

"Shhh! We don't have much time, Lily."

"Wait, we need to know it's really her and not some Death Eater in disguise," growled the man. "You have Veritaserum?"

Rawlings rolled her eyes at the man and turned back to the girl. "Lily, who annoys you the most at Hogwarts?"

"Potter," she said instantly.

"See?" Rawlings turned back to the man, who glared at her.

"That's not good enough, girl. Everybody knows that. Ask her something only the real Lily Evans would know."

Rawlings bit her lip before asking, "Which of your friends did you tell about Stoughton's murder right after he died?"

Lily was about to say that Rawlings wasn't asking about a real event before she realized that it was a trick question because she was only able to tell Dumbledore; she hadn't told Alice until last year, and everybody else was still in the dark.

"Nobody. I only told Dumbledore," Lily answered.

"It's her. We need to get out of here _now_!" Rawlings said, and she quickly guided Lily out of the door, the man following them while glancing around.

"I don't understand. Are there really Dea- my family!" Lily cried. "They're sitting in there with no way to protect themselves!"

"Lily, we already have somebody planning on getting them, but they can't do it until you're far enough away that their magic won't set off the Trace. Now hurry," Rawlings guided her to a truck parked close by.

Lily obediently climbed in to the backseat while Rawlings took the wheel and the man seated himself beside Lily, still alert to any threat. Now Lily was sure beyond a doubt that it was Rawlings; Death Eaters would never stoop so low as to drive something like a car, something that belonged only to the Muggle world.

The engine hummed to life, and Rawlings gunned it almost immediately. Houses zipped by at speeds more suitable for an interstate, certainly enough to get Rawlings pulled over.

"I'm sorry, but what's going on? Who are you? Why are we using a car? Why not just use a portkey?" Lily asked the man.

"Not here, girl!" the man answered in a harsh voice. Lily flinched away, and Rawlings spoke in a much kinder voice.

"You'll find out in a minute, Lily, but right now we have to get there. Right now the Death Eaters think that you're with a couple of Muggles. The car is the most unsuspecting thing that we could think of."

"Remember, con-"

"Yes, yes, I think she's gathered that it's important to stay alert," Rawlings snapped, but Lily could hear the hint of a close friendship behind the tone.

"Seriously, where are we going?"

"I promise to explain everything once we get there," said Rawlings. She glared at the man. "And it wouldn't hurt to be nice."

* * *

><p>Rawlings pulled into an empty parking lot, and Lily could see the disguises melt away.<p>

She had cut her hair and dyed it, so now in place of her beautiful, luscious brown hair was a black, spiky pixie cut, but that wasn't what surprised Lily; her cheeks had lost all of the baby fat that had made her look so uniquely young. Lily noticed that her clothes hung more loosely, like she had gone for a couple of months without a single decent meal, and now she was completely devoid of any make-up she had worn as a teacher, the signature red lips now a pale pink.

Rawlings's eyes, which were usually full of life, had a glazed look, and there was a blotchy scar running around her neck as if somebody had continually used some sort of spiked rope to choke her over and over again. Lily could easily believe that Death Eaters had held Rawlings and tortured her for weeks.

It was as if Rawlings had aged thirty years in the span of less than two.

"Like I told you, Lily, there are some things out there that make Stoughton's murder seem like child's play," Rawlings said, noticing Lily stare at the scars on her neck; her collarbone stuck out much more than usual, and Lily had never seen such a fragile-looking person. "Courtesy of Salvatore Mulciber."

Lily stared at the scars in shock, unable to keep from connecting them to the people Severus had been spending the summer with.

"Yes, yes, we get it, you want revenge for a summer of nothing but moldy bread," said the man, and Lily got her first real look at him.

The only word to describe him was terrifying.

There was no other way that he appearance could be summed up into one word. Scars covered every inch of him, and in place of his left leg was a piece of wood. One scar was on the corner of his lips, so he was wearing a permanent scowl, but that wasn't the scariest thing: one eye continued to glare at Rawlings, but the other was an electric blue eye, whizzing in its socket, completely independent of the other one.

"C'mon," said Rawlings as soon as she was out of the car. "Follow me."

"Wait," said the man, holding out arm and stopping Lily in her tracks. He sniffed the air and withdrew an old-looking wand.

Rawlings glanced around before saying quietly, "The faster we get there, the sooner we can leave." Though the circles under her eyes were more pronounced than a vampire's, nobody could mistake her for not being alert.

Right after Rawlings finished speaking, Lily felt her hair stand up on the end and a trickle of fear seep into her head; somebody else was coming.

"Constant vigilance, girl." The man's eye rolled backwards, and he yelled, "Down!"

_Boom!_

Lily instinctively threw her hands over her head and a tree to their left exploded into a pile of bark and ashes. She was aware of Rawlings already on her feet and yelling at the man; Lily guessed that she was calling him Mad-Eye, which was indeed a fitting name.

"_Crucio!_" a hauntingly familiar voice screamed. Lily reacted automatically, rolling to the side as the hiss of a curse hit the pavement where she had been a few seconds before.

"_Reducto!_" Rawlings's voice bellowed, and the person who had sent the Cruciatus Curse at Lily yelped. Lily lifted her arms just in time to see Bellatrix leap from a broomstick and fall to the ground as Rawling's Reductor Curse hit her broomstick, reducing it to rubble.

"You said she was with Muggles, not Aurors! You'll have the Dark Lord to answer to, filthy half-blood!" Bellatrix screeched at a man wearing a mask. He was about to answer when Mad-Eye, or whatever Rawlings had called him, sent a spiraling jet of purple light at them.

It hit the man who collapsed with a squeal, and Bellatrix responded with summoning at least fifteen knives that hurdled themselves at Mad-Eye. A shield stopped them from hitting him, and Mad-Eye cast a Stunning Spell in retaliation.

"Lily, move!" Rawlings had grabbed her by the arm, and Lily jerked into action. Rawlings pulled her to the woods shadowing the empty parking lot that Mad-Eye was currently dueling all of the Death Eaters in.

"_Imper-_" a boy, no more than nineteen, yelled, but Rawlings cut him off.

"_Silencio,_" she yelled, and the boy continued to move his mouth, but no sound came out. "Sorry, Vincent, but you should have practiced on nonverbal spells more when I was teaching you. We need to get away," she told Lily.

Lily kept up with Rawlings easily, but she stopped when she realized Mad-Eye wasn't following them. "What about Mad-Eye?" she asked.

"He's the best Auror the Ministry has had in a hundred years. If anybody can take on ten Death Eaters alone, it's him. Now hurry!"

"_Stupefy!_"

A jet of red light soared towards Lily, but she reacted quickly and ducked.

_Prohibius_, Lily thought, flicking her wand at the caster, and he was jerked into the air, frozen.

"Nice one," Rawlings said. "Uh-oh."

At least five Death Eaters blasted the bushes and trees away while Lily stood frozen with fear.

"_Impedimenta!_" Rawlings yelled, her jinx catching two Death Eaters at the same time. "_Stupefy! Pertrificus Totalus! Reducto!_ Get out of here, Lily!"

Lily looked once at Rawlings, fiercely holding off the Death Eaters who were dropping like flies until there were only two remaining.

"I remember you," said one with an extremely messed up nose; somebody might have kicked him, hard. "_Crucio!_"

Rawlings, who had been too busy fending off the other one, was hit squarely in the back. Lily watched in horror as she collapsed and screamed, twitching and twisting her body while the agonizing fire that Lily had once experienced clawed, unseen, at Rawlings's already fragile body.

"NO!" Lily yelled.

"Mr. Mulciber, look out!" the man beside him yelled, and he looked up to glare at Lily, leaving Rawlings gasping on the ground, temporarily unaware of anything around her.

Looking into the man's eyes, Lily knew she could only be facing Mulciber's father, Salvatore Mulciber, the person who had given Rawlings the scars on her neck.

"Francis, take care of her," Mulciber snarled while turning back to Rawlings. "Make sure you do it right. I've got some unfinished business with little Sage here."

"No. Get out of here, Lily," Rawlings said weakly, struggling to her feet, but she didn't get far.

"_CRUCIO!_" Mulciber yelled, and Rawlings was too consumed by the pain to do anything but shriek.

It was just like the last time: Lily sat by watching as a Death Eater tortured Rawlings, just like Stoughton. Last time she was weak and unprepared, she had run. That had gotten her nowhere, but Lily wasn't going to do the same thing again.

The man advanced on her with his wand out, smirking at the fifteen-year-old, but Lily braced herself.

"_Avada-_"

"_Reducto!_" Lily cried, stopping the man short as he ducked the curse that did not come. Instead Lily had aimed at a large branch above the Death Eater, which fell free with a resounding _CRACK!_

Rawlings screams stopped as Mulciber dived aside to avoid it, unknowingly jumping into a ditch while Rawlings stirred.

The other Death Eater stumbled out of the branches, and Lily saw that his mask had fallen off, revealing a face that wasn't totally unknown to Lily, though she had only met the man once.

It was Francis Manumali, the man who had come to her house along with Professor McGonagall to give her the Hogwarts letter and explain magic to her parents. Lily recalled the unease she had felt around him, and saw that her first impressions were right; he was a Death Eater.

Manumali grinned at Lily's shock, a smile that sent shivers up her spine. "Finally found me out, have you, Mudblood. I hear you were catching on to my little side activity in Hogwarts a couple of years ago. Victoria, Magnolia, all those people were foolish enough to think I was their friend simply because I had told them about magic."

The shock held Lily still. Manumali? He was the person who had been behind the disappearances back in her second year?

"Why?" Lily choked out.

Manumali raised an eyebrow. "Filth like you don't deserve to walk this earth. I've been using the crazy kid and my status to track down any Mudbloods who could be threatening to our society. Wipe them out before they can do much. Besides, it's fun to watch them beg, thinking I'm their friend…"

While Lily fought hard to keep from fainting at the cruelty of Manumali's murderous ways, she noticed that it sounded like he knew beforehand which Muggle-borns would be successful, which was impossible for him to tell, even if he was a Seer.

An then something else came to her mind. If Manumali only visited the targets who ended up dead, and she had been one of the Muggle-borns…

"I would like to spend some fun time before getting rid of you, but alas, it'll have to be quick. _Avada Kedavra!_" Manumali yelled, but Lily was already expecting it and dived behind a log, her heart hammering.

"_Reduc-_" Manumali started, but Rawlings was up again.

"_Clubo,_" she said weakly, barely managing to stay conscious.

_Thud!_

Manumali went slightly cross-eyed, as if he had been smacked over the head with a cast-iron frying pan, and collapsed.

"You bitch, Rawlings! I won't let you get-"

"_Flipendo!_" Lily yelled, and Mulciber went flying backwards before colliding with a tree and sliding to the ground unconscious.

Rawlings groaned and got unsteadily to her feet. "Nicely done, Lily." But Lily was still shaking from the thought of a hit list she had been on ever since she was eleven.

There was more crunching, and the two girls whirled around before realizing it was only Mad-Eye.

"Found the portkey. Now let's get the hell out of here," said Mad-Eye, holding up an old aluminum can that was starting to glow blue. "You okay, Sage?"

"Mulciber Sr. never really forgave me for breaking his nose."

* * *

><p><em>Bam!<em>

Lily groaned, landing on the floor. A pair of hands helped her into a sitting position, and Lily turned to the person who was helping her up.

"Emmie!" It was indeed Emmeline Vance, the Gryffindor alumni and one of Lily's first friends. In the few short years she had been away, Emmie had grown her hair down to just above her shoulders, and she had a very deep tan. Lily was having all kinds of reunions tonight.

Emmie wasn't looking at Lily though. Instead, she was training her wand on Rawlings and the man.

Rawlings held her hands up, completely calm despite having a wand pointed at her face. "My name is Sage Rawlings. I am twenty-two, sister of Shiloh Rawlings, and one of the people Dumbledore picked for the Order. I taught you how to produce a Patronus, which takes the form of a porcupine. My own Patronus is a tiger."

Emmie nodded, satisfied, and turned to Mad-Eye. "Name's Mad-Eye Moody, and I told you that you shouldn't keep your wand in you back pocket first time we met at a meeting because I've known a lot of wizards who've lost buttocks."

"Really?" Lily blurted out before she could help herself. "Who?"

Moody growled, and Emmie turned her own wand at Lily, who paled at the thought of Emmie, a trusted friend, ready to curse her on a moment's notice, but Rawlings just said, "It's her. We've checked. Do you really thing Mad-Eye would let us take an impersonator?"

Emmie lowered her wand, and held out a hand to help Lily up, which she took. "How've you been, Lily? Long time, no see."

Lily shrugged. "Confused. What am I doing here?"

Rawlings answered, "It's fine. Voldemort found out about you, so we had to get you out of there. You'll be staying at the Prewetts until he forgets about you. You should be grateful that he's only expressed brief interest in you.

"As soon as we put up the proper protective enchantments around your house, you'll be able to return. But right now, we'll be sending you to the Prewett's house. It's much safer than a Muggle home, and you can get all your school stuff later."

"What about my parents?"

"Some of our people were able to get them out."

"Why couldn't I have just taken the portkey directly from my house to here?"

"Because you need CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody barked suddenly, and Lily jumped nearly a foot in the air, not expecting the outburst.

"Because somebody's super paranoid," muttered Rawlings. "And look where that got us."

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later, Lily was standing on Alice's doorstep with a trunk in one hand and Marigold in the other.<p>

After a meal from Rawlings and an extraordinarily long lecture about safety with 'CONSTANT VIGILANCE!' thrown in at least ten different times, Rawlings had taken her by Side-Along Apparation, possibly the worst thing ever invented by wizards. Lily wondered how people could willingly use it when it felt like you were being squeezed down a giant, black tube.

So here she was, ringing the doorbell of the Prewett's home with obvious impatience.

The door flung open.

"Lily!" Alice cried. She threw herself against Lily, giving her a much needed hug.

"Hey, Alice."

"Professor!" Alice said, realizing that Rawlings was also present. She stopped short at Rawlings's appearance, clearly as shaken as Lily was. "I didn't think it would be you bringing Lily."

Rawlings gave her a small smile. "Surprise. I need to go though. Your parents should be able to take care of things for now. Hopefully we'll be able to catch up after this blows over." She walked away with a wave to both of the girls that they enthusiastically returned. Rawlings then Disapparated with a loud _crack!_

As soon as Rawlings disappeared Lily rounded on Alice. "Did you really know that they were coming?" she asked, using a sharper tone than she normally would when talking to Alice.

Alice shuffled her feet and mumbled, "I wanted to tell you, but they made me swear not to. They tried to make it so the Death Eaters wouldn't know that they were even moving you, and the Death Eaters are still oblivious to the who, which is why it was important that Rawlings and Moody remained anonymous."

"Well, the Death Eaters know who they are now."

"Yeah, well...come in before my mother thinks somebody must've kidnapped us," Alice ushered her into the cozy home. "We can bring your stuff up to my room."

Lily followed Alice into the large sitting room. Moving photographs adorned the walls with everybody the Prewetts had ever known. Alice had taken up a large area with photos from her first birthday to the last day of term from fourth year. Lily noticed that she, Mary, and Marlene were also featured plenty, and she saw a copy of the photo Alice had given to her for Christmas in the first year.

"Lily, sweetie, how nice to see you again. How are your parents?" Mrs. Prewett appeared from behind one of the bookshelves, smiling kindly at Lily.

"They're fine. Mum has a summer before she has to deal with more five-year-old again."

"Well, make yourself at home. Alice's room will be big enough for the two of you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Prewett."

Carrying Marigold, Alice led the way into her spacious room. Lily had always loved Alice's place. Enormous windows let sunlight stream into the bedroom, illuminating the light blue walls with all the ornaments and trinkets. Alice's broomstick was propped up in a corner with her Gryffindor Quidditch robes hung up right next to the Nimbus 1700. The crate, which Lily knew to hold the Quidditch balls, quivered slightly.

"My mum can conjure up a bed for you, and you can put your stuff right next to my trunk." Alice pointed to her school trunk sitting right next to the walk-in closet.

"Thanks for this, Alice," Lily said.

"No problem. I would be weirded-out too if I some Death Eater chasing me."

Lily just smiled.

"Oh! Hogwarts letters came." Alice withdrew two thick envelopes addressed in green ink to Lily and Alice both.

"Yours is a little heavier. I bet you it's the Prefect badge." Alice tossed her the letter, which Lily neatly caught.

She ripped open her letter and, sure enough, a scarlet badge fell out. Trying hard to conceal her excitement, Lily read the Prefect letter first.

_Ms. Lily Evans,_

_Congratulations on becoming Gryffindor Prefect! _

_In addition to your studies, you will be asked to complete Prefect duties. These include patrolling with another Prefect starting after eight o' clock , usually with the other Gryffindor Prefect. You may hand out detentions and refer to either Head Boy and Girl or teachers for point deductions. _

_You will be asked to attend Prefect meetings. The Head Boy and Girl will arrange these in due time. The first Prefect meeting will be in Compartment 1B at noon. _

_You and the other Gryffindor Prefect will escort the first years to the common room on September 1st._

_Please note that any abuse of this position will strip you of your badge. _

_Sincerely,_

_Professor M. McGonagall_

"I'm Prefect!" Lily squealed.

"Congrats, Lily. I knew you would be McGonagall's choice. Ha! You can give the Marauders detention now. Revenge must be so sweet."

"This means that one of the Marauders is Prefect," Lily said, her smile vanishing quickly. The thought of Potter or Black as Prefects, roaming to school with no authority to stop them, was quite terrifying to Lily.

Alice froze for a second, then burst out laughing. "Pettigrew, Black, Potter, and Lupin. Hmmm, it's hard to decide which one will be given the badge." Alice put on a mocking thoughtful face.

"Lupin," Alice and Lily said together.

**Wow! Emmeline, Manumali, and Rawlings all in two chapters. Whole bunch of people who came back. I wanted everybody to forget about Manumali so when he was revealed to be a Death Eater, it would be a surprise. (Though I hinted at it in some of the old _Daily Prophet _articles.)**

**I also thought it would be nice to see the lighter, more humorous side of Rawlings :)**

**So I would love to read some nice, long reviews about this chapter... (Hint, hint)**

**Thanks to my faithful reviewers: IllusiveButterfly, lynnnnyl, ItDidntMeanForever, alcatluvr13, and twilightstargazer. Love you all so much!**

**Your pre-Easter Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**

**AN: I'll be posting three chapters tomorrow because I have most of them written, and I just feel like giving you guys an Easter present since I can't reach through the computer/iPod/whatever you're reading this story on and give you lovelies chocolate. If you don't celebrate Easter, pretend it's just an early/late birthday present or something. **

**Another AN: next chappie will be important because since the thirty-eighth chapter was cut off, I hoping and praying and crossing my fingers that my experiment worked and it won't cut off the next chappie. If it is cut off, then I'll have somebody else post it, but I'm hoping that I won't get cut off like last time.**


	38. Prefect Meetings

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"I'm Prefect!" Lily squealed._

_"Congrats, Lily. I knew you would be McGonagall's choice. Ha! You can give the Marauders detention now. Revenge must be so sweet."_

_"This means that one of the Marauders is Prefect," Lily said, her smile vanishing quickly. The thought of Potter or Black as Prefects, roaming to school with no authority to stop them, was quite terrifying to Lily._

_Alice froze for a second, then burst out laughing. "Pettigrew, Black, Potter, and Lupin. Hmmm, it's hard to decide which one will be given the badge." Alice put on a mocking thoughtful face._

_"Lupin," Alice and Lily said together._

**Prefect Meetings**

"What happened at the dinner?" Mary asked Lily as the Hogwarts Express picked up speed, and Lily had lost sight of the Platform 9¾ with waving families disappearing from view. Her parents waved from next to the doorway to the platform, keeping true to their promise of seeing her onto the train while Petunia shopped with her friend, Yvonne.

"I got a little mad," Lily responded without any emotion in her voice. She didn't feel like talking about it much.

Mary nodded with understanding. It certainly paid to have friends who knew what to say and what not to ask.

Several kids in the next compartment poked their heads out of the doors. They were laughing and pointing at someone, and Lily had a very shrewd idea who. There were only four people who drew such crowds in Hogwarts.

"I have to go," Lily announced, jumping out of her seat. They hadn't even gotten to Hogwarts yet, and those four boys were already bullying Severus or some poor first year.

"Excuse me. Out of the way." Lily squeezed her way through the onlookers to the compartment.

Inside she could see Potter and Black with their wands out, and Pettigrew watched hungrily while two unfortunate second years dangled upside down by their ankles.

"What did we do?" the girl cried.

"You were a stinking Slytherin," Black laughed.

"Potter, Black! Stop this instant," Lily yelled. She pulled out her wand and performed the counter-curse. The two second years crashed to the floor, scrambling to pick up the candy which had fallen out, but Black beat them to it.

"We'll take that. _Accio_!"

"_Protego_!" Lily yelled, and Black's Summoning Charm stopped short. The three Marauders stared at her: Petttigrew with amazement, Black with irritation, and Potter with a look Lily only knew too well.

"And good day to you to, Ms. Evans. Would you be so kind as to join me at Hogsmeade?"

"Keep dreaming, Potter. How could you do that on unsuspecting second years? Second years! At least last year you picked on people your own age. Now don't let me catch you again."

Black grinned. "What makes you think that you'll stop us from giving people a little laugh?"

Lily glared at him while someone stepped up behind her and said, "Leave it, Sirius. We have to find a compartment."

The calmness in Remus's voice surprised Lily. She had rarely ever heard him speak except to answer questions in class, and being a Marauder and all, Lily didn't hang around him much anyways.

Black, to Lily's amazement, lowered his wand. She couldn't believe that all it took to stop them was a simple word from Remus. If she had known that, she would have dragged Lupin around with her whenever the Marauders were taunting some poor student.

"Fine, Remus. Let's go, Sirius." Potter grabbed Black's arm and dragged him away.

"What are you looking at? There's nothing here for you to see." Lily ushered the bystanders quickly away from the spot, and they left, clearly disappointed that the "show" had been stopped.

"Thanks," Lily said to Remus. She pointed at the prefect badge on his chest. "Only boy in Gryffindor who could have gotten that. Congratulations."

Remus smiled shyly. "Thanks. You too. We have our first meeting in one minute, and we should probably get going." He stepped aside to let Lily pass first.

"So are you the only person who has any control over Potter and Black, or can I take some Marauder Handling 101 course?"

He laughed lightly. "Sometimes James and Sirius will mind what I say, but the only person James will _always _listen to is Sirius and vice versa."

Lily groaned. "So nobody but Dumbledore can always make them stop?"

"You only see the meaner pranks they do. If you knew them like I did, you would realize they can be funny without dying Snape's hair pink."

"Funny way of showing it. Why do you hang out with them anyway? There are so many other people who are a better influence."

"They are the best friends I could ask for, Lily," Remus said suddenly. "They've been extremely loyal to me in ways you couldn't imagine, doing stuff I would never have asked them to do."

Lily could think of nothing to say to that. Remus clearly knew Potter and Black better, and while they were arrogant toe rags, she didn't doubt they were loyal to Remus.

"Hello, Lily, Remus," a deep, reassuring voice said as they entered the Prefect's compartment.

"Kingsley, how are you?" Lily hugged the tall, black boy.

"Good. How was your summer?" the seventh year asked in the same soothing, reassuring voice as he embraced Lily.

Lily noticed a silver badge with the initials HB gleamed against Kingsley's black Hogwarts robes. Personally, she couldn't think of anybody better than Kingsley. He could keep a cool head in any situation, and was excellent at balancing rules and exceptions.

"Head Boy and Captain of Quidditch. Ready for the most difficult year possible for a Hogwarts student?"

Kingsley shrugged. "I'll manage."

A beautiful girl with long, brown hair and an air of command stood up behind Kingsley. A silver badge was also pinned to her chest with the only change of Head Girl instead of Head Boy. Lily had seen her around school but never really paid much attention to her.

The brown haired girl held out her hand. "Bridget Williamson, Head Girl and Ravenclaw."

Lily took it. "Lily Evans. I'm one of the new Gryffindor prefects."

Bridget looked surprised. "The same Lily who James Potter won't stop asking out?"

"Unfortunately."

The other prefects entered the carriage, and Lily recognized several of them. The fifth year Ravenclaw prefects were Jesse Corner and Lisa MacMillan, and Lily didn't recognize either of the sixth years or the seventh year boy. Geoffrey Fudge stumbled in, a Hufflepuff prefect badge on his chest, with Elena Smith trailing in after him. Amelia Bones, Lily knew her from Slughorn's parties, entered with three other Hufflepuffs.

The Gryffindor prefects grinned at Lily and Remus and moved to take a seat next to them.

"All right, Lily?" Teresa Brown asked while Harper Ferris plopped into the seat closest to Remus.

Lily opened her mouth to respond, but the Slytherin prefects appeared. The two oldest prefects glared at Lily, angry that a Muggle-born had become a prefect. Holding hands with her boyfriend, Sergio Greengrass, Astoria Gamp nodded politely at the Gryffindors while Sergio ignored them; it was probably the nicest greeting Lily would ever get from a Slytherin except Severus.

Severus himself entered, and he just nodded and said hello. Lily blinked at the coolness of his greeting while he sat himself among the Slytherins; it was the first time that a Slytherin had been nicer to her than Severus.

"Good morning, everybody," Kingsley announced. "My name is Kingsley Shacklebolt and this is Bridget Williamson. We are your Head Boy and Girl for this year. Fifth year prefects, your job is to lead the first years to the common rooms after the feast; sixth and seventh years will patrol after the feast to make sure everybody goes up or down to their respective common rooms."

"And what makes you think that we'll take orders from any Gryffindor, Shacklebolt?" said the seventh year boy from Slytherin.

Kingsley laughed. "Then you might want to take it up with Professor Dumbledore about why you didn't get the badge. I seem to recall you last year saying that once you are Head Boy, there would be changes, Jugson."

Jugson scowled at Kingsley but shut up after Astoria Gamp elbowed him and whispered, "Be quiet. It's not worth it."

Bridget continued where Kingsley left off. "We'll be having a prefect meeting this Saturday at six. We'll hand out patrol schedules, talk about Hogsmeade visits, and go over upcoming events. Any questions?"

Jugson raised his hand.

Bridget took a deep breath as if to prepare for whatever Jugson wanted to say and said, "Yes, Jugson?"

"Do we get to have any say in who we patrol with? I don't fancy being stuck with a Gryffindor."

"Suck it up, Jugson. You're patrolling with whomever Bridget and I choose you're patrolling with. It's not like anybody wants to patrol with you, either," Kingsley responded calmly, and Jugson looked like Kingsley had punched him. Turning back to the compartment at large, he said, "You will usually be with whoever is in your House and year, but that is only half the time. That's means sometimes Gryffindors will be with Slytherins."

Bridget cleared her throat. "Before any fights break out with people I won't name," she glared at Jugson, "I suggest you go back to your compartments and have a good ride back to Hogwarts."

"That was quick," Remus said as the prefects left in twos and threes.

"It was interesting. There is a reason Dumbledore made Kingsley Head Boy and not the Jugson person. He really has a way with words."

They laughed at the memory of Jugson and Kingsley. It was several minutes before Lily realized this was her first time around the Marauders without any yelling, threatening, hexing, or detentions, even if it was just Remus.

"What's that?" Lily asked as Remus opened a compartment door. It was empty, but obviously the Marauders had already claimed it with a huge banner across the windows spelling, _Marauder's Compartment. Do not enter unless you want to be pranked as bad as Snivellus._

"Seriously?"

Remus grimaced as he withdrew a cauldron already full and a procedure next to it. Inside a potion bubbled sluggishly with the color of deep purple.

"Can I see?" Lily held out her hand for the instructions, her curiosity overcoming her. Remus glanced over her shoulder almost too quick for Lily to see, but she caught nonetheless. She jerked her head around and saw an incredibly brief flash, but it happened to quickly for her to process it.

Remus handed her the guidelines. The name of the potion was too smudged for her to fully make it out, but the potion was one of the most difficult potions she had ever seen. However, Lily was hardly fazed.

She ran her finger down the list of ingredients and the steps. According to whoever invented to potion, it should have been a light shade of lavender at the end. She laughed at the frustration of Remus because it was such an easy problem to fix.

"You didn't add enough juice. You must have cut them."

Remus nodded, still lost as to what Lily was saying.

"Here," Lily took the tiny, shriveled beans from Remus. He watched with interest as Lily took a silver knife and crushed the bean with the flat side. She held it over the fire, and excessive amounts of the grayish liquid poured out of the bean. The potions hissed and frothed. Gradually, the dark plum color lightened and turned a light lavender.

Remus leaned over and sighed with relief. "Thanks, Lily, you have no idea how frustrating it was for the entire summer to not quite get it right."

"No problem. I should get back to my compartment. Alice is probably wondering where I am."

James whipped off the Invisibility Cloak as soon as Lilyhad left the compartment. He had stood with Sirius and Peter, watching Lily correct the potion in less than a minute when he had spent the entire summer working on it and complaining that the only people capable of making it were Slughorn and Dumbledore.

The only difference between his professors and his fellow Gryffindor was that Lily was Lily; with her beautiful dark red hair, which now fell to the middle of her back and her brilliant emerald eyes, James had never seen anybody so gorgeous. Last year, it was just a game to him. She was another Target, and James had refused to be the first Marauder to be turned down besides Peter. Admittedly Remus had never asked out any girls, due to his lycanthropy, so it was really only between Sirius and James.

But when he saw her, it was something different from all the other girls he had dated.

And James refused to leave Hogwarts without ever kissing Lily Evans.

"Um, James?" Sirius asked.

James jumped, not noticing that he had been staring at the spot where Lily had been.

"What is with you and Evans? It is unhealthy to try to get a girl to say yes this long. Just move on to the next girl already."

"But…" James sighed. He could not think of a way to tell Sirius what he was feeling.

"Whatever. I want to know how our sweet Flower got this potion in ten seconds. Moony?"

Remus shrugged. "There is a reason why she's Slughorn's favorite. She's good with potions."

James snorted. "Good? I think you mean bloody brilliant."

"Whoa, Jamie," Sirius held up his hands, "Who are you, and what have you done with James Potter?"

"I think, Sirius, that our Jamsie-Boy might be falling for a certain Gryffindor," Remus said knowingly.

Sirius pretended to faint girlishly. "Ah, Jamie, I never knew you felt that way! I know I'm devilishly handsome, but you'll have to wait your turn."

"Oh, shut up. She's pretty and nice, that's all," James attempted to defend himself, but that was the wrong thing to say.

Sirius gave a dog-like bark of laughter. "Have you forgotten the time she removed your hair?"

"If you're not James Potter or Sirius Black, she's very kind to you. Even after one day I can see that," Remus pointed out. "It's just that you two seem to have a gift for ticking off Lily."

James frowned. "So what do I do?"

Remus shrugged. "I've only hung out with her for a day. I couldn't tell you much."

Sirius sighed. "Girls like boys who can be fun. Show off a little. Let her know what she's missing."

James grinned. "I think I can do that."

"Uh, Sirius? I don't think that's the best idea," Remus interrupted, but his friend waved him down rather rudely.

"Since I have the most experience with the ladies, I think James would have the most luck listening to me. You need to show her what you know. Lily-Bean probably likes smart boys."

"Trolley's almost here," Peter squeaked. "Lily secretly loves you. She's just too stubborn to admit it."

"Pete, Lily doesn't secretly love him- yet," Sirius explained to Peter the way one would explain things to a five-year-old.

**Prefects**

**Gryffindor: Lily Evans and Remus Lupin (5th year); Teresa Brown and Harper Ferris (6th year); Miriam Strout (7th year)**

**Hufflepuff: Cornelius Fudge and Elena Smith (5th year); Amelia Bones and Oliver Quaid (6th year); David Heatram and Gladys Stoutmill (7th year)**

**Ravenclaw: Jesse Corner and Lisa MacMillan (5th year); Dawn Vasquez and Eric Rogers (6th year); George Madison (7th year)**

**Slytherin: Severus Snape and Astoria Gamp (5th year); Sergio Greengrass and Nilla Parkinson (6th year); Aperto Jugson and Victoria Embers (7th year)**

**Head Boy: Kingsley Shacklebolt**

**Head Girl: Bridget Williamson**


	39. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_Sirius sighed. "Girls like boys who can be fun. Show off a little. Let her know what she's missing."_

_James grinned. "I think I can do that."_

_"Uh, Sirius? I don't think that's the best idea," Remus interrupted, but his friend waved him down rather rudely._

_"Since I have the most experience with the ladies, I think James would have the most luck listening to me. You need to show her what you know. Lily-Bean probably likes smart boys."_

_"Trolley's almost here," Peter squeaked. "Lily secretly loves you. She's just too stubborn to admit it."_

_"Pete, Lily doesn't secretly love him- yet," Sirius explained to Peter the way one would explain things to a five-year-old._

**Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs**

"James, you're doing it again," Sirius said, snapping her fingers in front of James's face.

He jumped and looked around wildly. "Sorry, what?" he asked Sirius who just sighed heavily.

"You were staring at Evans again. You're starting to freak me out. Kiss her already."

James shrugged in response. "I can't. She won't even give me the time of day. I've tried asking her out, but she still says no." he said, watching her stand up from her secluded corner and stretch before heading up to the girls' dormitories without so much as a glance his way.

"Just keep trying. Give her another month, and then she'll finally get what an honor it is to have a Marauder ask her out this much."

"Guys," Remus said, appearing behind them with his bag in his hand and a serious look on his face. "It's ready. We should go while nobody's in the common room."

James and Sirius shot out of their chairs as if electrocuted.

"You sure?" Sirius asked, his face deadly serious.

Remus nodded quietly. "Pete's waiting for us. We should hurry."

James withdrew his Invisibility Cloak and threw it over all three of them.

"Who's there?" The Fat Lady squawked as James opened the portrait. None of the Marauders said anything as they shuffled past her down the corridor to the empty classroom far enough away from everything that the chances of somebody barging in on them was slim. However, James took no chances, and as soon as the boys closed the door, he set to work on protective spells and set up charms all the way down the hall.

"The potion's ready and the spells are right here." Peter pointed to an ancient book propped open to the page describing the animagi transformations.

"You first," Sirius said while handing James a tiny vial of the lilac potion.

"Remember the spells?" James asked Sirius who nodded solemnly.

James took a deep breath and, plugging his nose, gulped the potion down in one swallow.

Instantaneously, he dropped the glass phial and doubled over, fighting to keep the fiery potion down. It wasn't the worst pain ever, but it still felt like swallowing boiling water. He felt his eyes watering, and his mouth burned. Slowly but surely, his felt the blazing sensation cool slightly.

The coolness continued to chill more and more until he felt like his insides were coated in freezing ice. The iciness trickled into his limbs and goose bumps formed.

"James? James!" a faraway voice called. "The spell! Do the spell!"

_What spell?_ James thought. The cold was creeping up to his head, so he could barely think through it.

"The animagus transformation! C'mon, James."

As soon as the ice reached his head, it was crystal clear, and he recited, under his breath or in his head, he didn't know, "_Ostendo mihi bestia intus; ostendo sum bestia inside. Adveho, prosilio! Permissum bestia subsist me, parumper libido. Ego sum unus per is ut is est unus me. Commodo, ostendo mihi verum quis ego sum._"

He continued to repeat that, completely unaware of any of his friends standing next to him, unsure of what to do.

Gradually, James felt the ice recede, contracting his insides.

Now was the time.

James concentrated with all his effort on squeezing himself into an unreal tube. He could see in mind's eye his morphing into an animal, until a curious sensation replaced the imagery.

This feeling was real. Warmth, so different from the fire he had recently experienced, shot through him quick as lightning. There was a brief moment of darkness until…

"No! Not fair, Moony! It doesn't count!"

"I said deer, and you said antelope. I won fair and square."

"He's a stag, not a deer."

"A stag is a deer."

"It's bigger. You were talking about a small deer."

"No, I just said deer."

"I couldn't properly see the changes when we were practicing."

"And I could?"

James tried to respond, but his voice didn't feel quite right. He opened his eyes, and turned to a long mirror propped up in the room, but it wasn't James looking back at him.

It was a stag. Deep brown fur the color of chocolate covered his body. Magnificent antlers sprouted from his head, larger than Sirius, who was standing next him. The only similarity was his eyes. The hazel orbs on the stag reflected the crescent moon outside. James couldn't think of a word to describe the animal in front of him besides _beautiful_.

He had never seen his transformations while they were practicing since it was happening too quickly, so the experience of looking into a mirror and not seeing himself was completely new and very odd.

James closed his eyes, imagining his human form, and the warmth receded slightly. After the short blackness, James the wizard appeared again in the mirror.

"Oh. My. Merlin!" Sirius yelled. James was internally grateful he had cast the _Muffliato_ spell on the door.

"I did it!" James cried.

"Way to go, Prongs!" Sirius shouted.

"Prongs?" James asked, adopting the tone Remus had used when he had first heard his own nickname.

Sirius shrugged. "I told you we would all get nicknames. Prongs suits you. Would you rather have me call you Bambi?"

"No!" James yelled. "Prongs is fine, it's fine."

"Okay, my turn! Move over, Bambi," Sirius shouted, and he snatched the vial from Peter's hand.

* * *

><p>"Sorry, Pete. I already gave everybody their names. We shall be forever remembered as Messr. Padfoot and his fellow Marauders, Messrs. Prongs, Moony, and Wormtail."<p>

"No, that has no ring to it," James repeated. "I've told you to go with Prongs and Padfoot with Moony and Wormtail."

"That is worse than mine," Sirius complained. "Moony, what do you think?"

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," Remus said immediately.

"Hmm," Sirius wondered aloud.

"Oh, come on, Padfoot! I agree with Moony on this one. It's the best name there is."

"Fine, Prongs!" Sirius threw his hands up in the air. "Moony wins this time."

"Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," James repeated.

* * *

><p>"Is it me, or are the Marauders quieter today," Alice asked.<p>

Lily glanced over at the four Gryffindor boys. They did look a little different. The rings under Potter's eyes were more pronounced, and Black's hair wasn't as sleek as usual. Remus was the most different though. Not in physical appearance, but in demeanor. He continually glanced over his shoulder, as if afraid someone would arrest him.

Lily shrugged. "I prefer them when they're too tired to talk. I'm not complaining. Is the anymore news on Voldemort in the _Prophet_?"

Marlene scanned the paper with narrowed eyes. "There were a couple of Muggle attacks in Wales, but apparently the Ministry is saying that we don't have to be worried yet. According to them, Muggle disappearances aren't anything to be concerned with." Marlene's disgust grew more pronounced with every sentence.

"What?" Lily demanded furiously. She snatched the paper out of Marlene's hands, ignoring her, "I was reading that."

**Ministry's Response to Muggle Murders**

_After the latest Muggle killings in Wales, the Ministry continues to stress to the Wizarding World that they have nothing to fear._

_Mr. and Mrs. Bombadil, an elderly Muggle couple, were found dead in their home late Thursday night, after several wizards had broken in and tortured the couple, finally killing them. _

_The identity of these wizards or witches has not been released yet, but a group of Death Eaters claimed the credit for the attack._

"_No wizards or witches have been harmed, so there is no reason to panic. We will track down these out of control wizards and sentence them to several weeks in Azkaban," a Ministry spokesman said following the attack._

_Some wizards, however, are arguing that the harm done to a Muggle shall be prosecuted the same as if the crime was committed against a fellow wizard. _

_Mr. Charlus Potter (61), a well-known Auror who is now retired, spoke to out reporters on the matter. "It's disgusting for our government to consider other humans beneath them just because they have no magical powers. All human lives are equal, and the Ministry would do well to remember that."_

_The Ministry later denied these claims that they treated Muggles little more than animals as Mr. Charlus Potter claimed._

Lily threw the paper down in revulsion. "What the hell gives them the right to decide who is more important. Those self-centered morons. And besides, they're acting like the London attack never happened! It's not like people don't know that Voldemort isn't out in the open."

"Actually," Marlene said quietly, and Lily snapped her head up at the hopeless tone. "The Ministry has convinced a lot of people that the London attack was a one-time thing, and nothing like that will happen again."

"But what about the kidnappings? Murders? Dementor attacks?" Lily demanded.

"Dad said that the Dementors had already left Azkaban, but nobody's letting anybody know."

Mary just stared ahead. Being the other Gryffindor fifth years with Muggle parents, she was the only one to know how Lily felt about her family being treated like that.

Alice patted her hand soothingly. "They'll eventually realize how badly they screwed up, don't worry."

"HEY, EVANS!" Potter shouted from down the table. "Go out with me?"

"Not in your lifetime, Potter," Lily called back. She turned back to Alice. "Didn't you say that you wanted to work at the Ministry?"

Alice scowled. "I was hoping to help catch Dark wizards, but seeing as the Ministry doesn't want anybody to do anything about the Dark wizards already out there, I'm reconsidering."

"Who are you asking to the dance?" Mary asked, speaking for the first time since the article. Lily got the feeling that Mary just wanted the subject to change as soon as possible.

"Sam Fairfield. He's from Ravenclaw and really cute," Marlene commented with the air of one talking about the weather as if it were a completely undisputed fact that Sam Fairfield was cute.

"Lily?" Alice asked.

Lily shrugged. "Haven't got around to asking anybody yet." It was slightly true. Lily was always busy with the homework teachers were piling on and her prefect duties. Alice wasn't faring much better with the Quidditch practices every afternoon.

"Well, the Heads are going together," Mary said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Really?" Alice asked. "I wouldn't have guessed. Kingsley looks extremely stressed about everything."

"Who wouldn't be?" Lily said. "He's the busiest person in this school. He has Head Boy duties, Quidditch practices, and enough homework to last him ten years."

"His girlfriend's been helping with the Head duties a little."

Lily giggled. "He still has the most work. I think that has only happened to about two other people in the last century. Mark Wood had to step down from Captainship because it clashed with his Head Boy responsibilities."

"Back on topic," Mary said. "Kingsley and Bridget are going together. It seems like all the Head Boy and Girls end up together."

"So if you get that Head Girl badge in two years, Lily, we'll have to pick out your wedding dress."

"If that happens, then Potter should know I'll already be taken."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Lily!" Terry Abbott skidded to a stop in front of her, out of breath and his bag dangerously close to falling off. "I had hoped to catch you before you got up to the Gryffindor common room."<p>

"Hey, yourself, Terry," Lily smiled at the handsome boy.

"So I was wondering…" Terry's hand jumped nervously to his hair, a habit which reminded Lily of Potter; that wasn't something she wanted. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance with me."

"I would like that, sure," Lily nodded, not really having any reason to say no. Terry was cute, smart, and could be funny at times: a good match for Lily.

Terry looked relieved. "Thanks, I'll see you later, Lily." Terry ran off to join his friends.

At least he had not started calling her Lils the moment she said yes. It would take a long time for anybody besides Alice to call her that.

"What did he want?" Mary asked coming up behind her.

"He just asked me to the dance."

Mary giggled. "Oh, I overheard Potter telling Black and Remus the best way to ask you to the dance. I would be afraid if I were you. You might want to advise Terry to hide whenever the Marauders are around."

"Remus wasn't saying anything to Potter?" Lily raised an eyebrow skeptically. Over the months, Lily had gotten to know Remus and vice versa. She doubted Remus would sit quiet while Potter and Black debated the most annoying way to ask Lily to the dance.

"He was. They just didn't listen to him."

"Of course they didn't."


	40. The Silver Doe

**And here is the third of the three chapters I said I would upload today:**

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"He just asked me to the dance."_

_Mary giggled. "Oh, I overheard Potter telling Black and Remus the best way to ask you to the dance. I would be afraid if I were you. You might want to advise Terry to hide whenever the Marauders are around."_

_"Remus wasn't saying anything to Potter?" Lily raised an eyebrow skeptically. Over the months, Lily had gotten to know Remus and vice versa. She doubted Remus would sit quiet while Potter and Black debated the most annoying way to ask Lily to the dance._

_"He was. They just didn't listen to him."_

_"Of course they didn't."_

**The Silver Doe**

"I'm sorry, Lily. I really need you to cover for me next Thursday. I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important," Remus pleaded her late in the common room one evening.

"I've already said it was no problem," Lily laughed lightly.

Remus blushed and looked anywhere but Lily's eyes. "My father wanted me to visit again since my mother's sickness is coming back."

"I hope she gets better, Remus. Mary's waiting for me in the library, and I should get going," Lily responded.

"Thanks, Lily. I owe you." Remus glanced outside at moonlight, and Lily caught a shadow behind his eyes. Was it fear? At any rate, she had a hard time believing the reasons behind needing someone to fill in.

"Don't worry about it. See you later," Lily said. She grabbed her bag and climbed through the portrait hole, pondering Remus's pleas and sad excuses. Since the beginning of the year, Remus had been acting weird at times, coming up with explanations that were obviously not completely true.

Lily had an idea forming in her head, but she was not about to confront Remus without being absolutely sure. Most wizards would not take kindly to being called a werewolf, but Lily was positive about Remus's condition. He was already looking pale with the full moon on Thursday, and every time he had came back at the beginning of the year, the poor boy was covered in fresh cuts and black and blue all over.

"Lily," a quiet voice said behind her.

Lily jumped violently in her surprise. "Stop doing that, Sev. You keep startling me," said Lily as Severus emerged from behind the shadows of the portrait hole. He looked more pale than usual; he had taken on a permanent, sickly complexion, not unlike Remus's. His, however, was more probable from a lack of sunlight. Lily could hardly think of the last time she had seen him outside.

Severus smiled softly. "Sorry. I was wondering what you were doing this Saturday," he croaked.

"I'm going to the dance. Since there's the Annual Meeting of Magical Tutors at the Ministry, it's a perfect time for a dance with all the teachers away and only a couple of Aurors on duty here. Why?"

Severus looked down guiltily, and Lily recognized the expression: he wasn't telling her something.

"It's just that there are probably a couple of study groups in the common rooms, and I thought you would want to join them- for OWLs and stuff," his voice trailed off hopelessly, erasing any possible doubt that he was being truthful. He dropped his gaze to his feet.

"Severus, what's going on?" Lily demanded with her voice cool and unattached.

Severus continued to stare at his feet.

"Severus, I swear, if something happens-" Lily started, but she was cut short by a familiar voice she had no wish to hear at all.

"Oi, Snape!" Black yelled. Both Potter and Black were striding towards Lily and Severus. She groaned. Of all the times to interrupt…

"See you later, Lils," Severus said, vanishing before the Marauders were within cursing distance.

Lily rounded on Potter and Black as they stopped mere feet from her, stomping her foot in frustration.

"Can I have not have one peaceful conversation with my friend without you two interrupting? Is that too much to ask for?" she said, her voice rising in anger.

Black grinned, and Lily wanted to kick him just to vent her feelings some. "Most people would love to have a reason not to talk to the greasy git."

"I'm not _most people_, Black. Don't you have some poor girl waiting for you in a broom closet? I don't want to talk to you."

Potter wasn't listening; he seemed more concerned about something else. "Lils? I didn't think you allowed anybody to call you that if I remember correctly," he asked, missing his usual mischievous glint in his eye, and he wasn't smiling. Lily couldn't help but think how much more mature he looked.

She blushed slightly. "Only my family and close friends can. You and Black count as neither. It's still Evans," Lily added warningly.

Something flashed across Potter's face, but Lily determinedly glared at Black. She had no wish to feel sympathy towards an arrogant prat like Potter.

Black seemed unperturbed. He winked and said cheekily, "Sure thing, Flower."

Lily turned her heel and stormed off.

* * *

><p>James stared at the corridor Lily had walked through. It shouldn't have bothered him that Snape was so close to Lily, but it did. It was hard to stop the jealousy he felt whenever Snape glanced at Lily. He had what James wanted and would probably never get.<p>

"Cheer up, Prongs. Lily-Bean'll realize how bad Snivellus is by the end of the year, I'm sure. He's bound to show her his true colors sometime soon."

"Just like you said she would come around in a couple of weeks," James said quietly. "Whatever I do, she still hates me, Padfoot."

Sirius put on his thoughtful face complete with a scratch on the chin. "Moony's the best one to ask, Prongs. He probably knows why Lily-Bean's like that."

James sighed.

* * *

><p>"You'll make everybody envious, Lily," Marlene said as she and Alice put the finishing touches on Lily's hair.<p>

Lily blushed.

"There!" Alice yelled, causing the other three girls to jump in surprise. "All you needed was a little bit of color. I now officially deem you ready and gorgeous for Terry Abbott."

Lily stood up and examined herself in the mirror. Her dress was such a dark blue it was almost black, and twinkling stars adorned the bottom of the dress and got scarcer as they move up the dress until not a single silver star stuck to the waist of the knee-length dress. Alice had twisted her dark red tresses so they cascaded over one shoulder, and with a single tap of Alice's wand, her hair curled into soft.

Marlene finished Lily's makeup with a final swipe of lip-gloss. A soft pearly glow emanated from Lily with her bright green eyes shining. Marlene was just as much a genius as Alice was.

Mary stood up. Marlene had forced her into a tight dress the color of roses. Her arms were bare and sported gold bracelets around her wrists to match her earrings and necklace. Mary's hair was too short to do much with, but Alice had added more volume than Lily thought possible to it. Her golden pumps sparkled. Lily thought Mary could be Gryffindor's new mascot with her scarlet and gold.

"You two will make all the boys stare," Marlene said proudly while Alice nodded by her side. While Lily could handle dressing up on her own, she could hardly deny Marlene and Alice their fun. The two girls had become the official stylists of Gryffindor.

Marlene only needed five minutes to get ready in the bathroom. She emerged with a tight gown the color of ice clinging to her body. Silver heels that looked like torture devices strapped to her feet, but Marlene somehow managed to still look as graceful as a gazelle.

"Let's not keep those boys waiting any longer," Alice, who was wearing a white, fairy-like dress, said. "Their faces will be priceless." She flung open the door a flounced down the stairs and to the portrait hole, leaving only the scent of her perfume behind her. Marlene shoved Lily and Mary after her, and ushered them to hurry up and get downstairs quickly.

After exiting the common room, Marlene glided over to Sam Fairfield who stood, waiting, entranced by Marlene's striking beauty. Many other boys followed Marlene with undisguised awe. Lily noticed that even Sirius Black stared at her over the head of his date from Hufflepuff. Sam Fairfield was earning many jealous looks from the boys present.

"Lily!" Bridget Williamson appeared in front of her, wearing a long, lavender dress. Kingsley Shacklebolt was close to her shoulder, looking much happier than Lily had ever seen him. She supposed Kingsley must have liked Bridget far longer than she had originally thought.

"You look beautiful. Aurors are posted around the school. Prefects are supposed to give them hourly updates," Bridget said while she readjusted a silvery-grey clip that resembled a butterfly. Once she removed her hand, the butterfly fluttered its wings once and twitched slightly.

Lily nodded. "Sure thing. I'll see you later; Terry's waiting for me."

Bridget smiled. "Of course. Don't let James Potter get too jealous."

"I don't think he's stupid enough to curse Terry with all the Aurors around," laughed Lily.

"He did transform one Slytherin's bag into a boa constrictor in front of McGonagall and Flitwick."

"Both of whom let him off with only one detention."

Bridget shrugged. "The past is the past. Terry will probably be waiting for you."

Lily waved goodbye to Kingsley and Bridget and flounced to meet Terry who was looking quite handsome in traditional black dress robes.

"You look beautiful," Terry said as Lily approached, beaming. He looked even better up close. She was happy that one of the cutest guys in her year had asked her, and not one of the pigs that talked with their mouth full.

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself," Lily smiled back.

"Shall we?" Terry said, holding out his arm. She took it, not noticing Potter's glare at Terry over Barbara Smith's head.

* * *

><p>Lily gasped as she and Terry entered the Great Hall. It had completely transformed and was now covered with little lights glittering overhead and circular tables covered in shiny black tablecloths. Icicles dotted the ceiling with snow falling slightly, though Lily was still warm thanks to the charms Flitwick had most likely placed around the Hall. Terry led her to one of the tables and initiated the conversation.<p>

"So how did you first find out about magic?" he asked, helping himself and Lily to little Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans and Ice Mice that were scattered among the tables with many other sweets surrounding them.

"My friend told about it, but I didn't believe him at first. McGonagall then explained everything to my parents when she gave me my letter," Lily didn't feel like telling Terry her whole history with Severus after just one dance, and there was no need for Terry to know about a hit list from the crazy Manumali.

Terry seemed to know Lily didn't want to talk about it and didn't press the subject. "Any siblings?"

"One sister. What about you?"

Terry shrugged. "Got a younger sister who starts Hogwarts year after next. She's made me promise to be the older brother who takes care of the bullies. She's particularly scared of the Gryffindor boys in your year."

"The Marauders?" Lily snorted. "Oh, please, once somebody will actually fight back against them, everybody will see that they aren't so big and tough as they want people to believe."

"You seem to let them know what you're thinking. Have any of you ever had a civil conversation?" Terry asked, amused.

"Remus and I have. He's the only decent one in the bunch. Potter and Black just bully other students."

Terry nodded. "I've chatted with him a little. He's much more quiet than James Potter and Sirius Black."

"What kinds of things does your sister like?" Lily asked while taking a dainty sip of Butterbeer. She didn't think it would help to get into a rant about just how the Marauders managed in infuriate her so easily, and she tried to steer the conversation away from that topic.

Terry shrugged. "Hannah loves the Holyhead Harpies. She keeps going on about how she'll make the Quidditch team in her second year and will be Captain by fourth."

"Big expectations for a ten-year-old," Lily said.

Terry continued to chat about his life, and Lily learned a surprising amount. His father was a Muggle, and his mother was a half-blood- his grandfather was Muggle-born while his grandmother was from the Greengrass pureblood family. His father worked as a lawyer while his mother helped him in his office. His favorite Quidditch team was the Chudley Cannons.

Lily let him in on her own life a little. She told him how her mother was a kindergarten teacher and her father was an engineer.

"So my mother is always the peace-maker at our house. She's already had a lot of exper-"

A scream pierced the warm air, much different from the cheers for the band playing. The horrible sound was definitely a girl, and Lily felt the hair at the back of her neck stand up. The high-pitched child continued to yell in what was most certainly terror. Lily could tell she was getting closer to the Hall very quickly.

The tiny girl burst through the doors into silence. Nobody moved, and hardly anybody dared to breathe. Then the little girl started babbling, clearly terrified.

"They were right in front of me…so many…pulled out his wand….look," the girl showed the nearest Auror her arm which was soaked in crimson blood.

As one, the Aurors whipped out their wands and raced out of the doors, but were thrown back by an explosion. Lily ducked as a chunk of stone hurdled over her head and crashed into an ice statue, demolishing it completely.

Masked figures entered the Great Hall with billowing, black robes and wands drawn. An oddly shaped one shot a silver hex at the nearest student, a third year Hufflepuff, and she fell to the ground, unconscious.

Terror ensued. Lily drew her wand, prepared to fight immediately while Terry gathered several of the younger students and began shepherding them towards the exits on the sides.

"Get them out of here and go get help," Lily commanded Terry over the chaos.

"What about you?" Terry asked, glancing fearfully at the approaching black figures.

"I'll be fine. Go. Keep the kids safe."

Terry nodded and grabbed the arms of two young Ravenclaws. He had to physically restrain a second year Gryffindor who was rearing to join the fight eagerly, his wand already drawn.

Lily didn't check to see where exactly Terry was taking the younger kids, but ran straight into the midst of flying hexes and curses.

"_Pertrificus Totalus!_" Lily yelled at a nearby Death Eater who was locked in combat with Marlene. Lily was on target, and he knocked into his companion as he fell, giving Marlene a chance to send a well-aimed Stunning Spell at the other Death Eater.

Several more Death Eaters filled their spots, and Lily braced herself for a multitude of nasty curses which were about to be sent her way.

It was so different from what Lily was used to. She was no longer facing the Marauders or Slytherin bullies, but fully-qualified and dangerous wizards; her only real experience with Death Eaters was the little skirmish earlier in the summer, and even then she hadn't done much of the fighting.

Several times she saw an Auror or fellow classmate fall, but she could do nothing to help as a Death Eater or two was always blocking her path.

She was currently dueling a grubby Death Eater four times her size at the entrance of the Great Hall. He was ruthless in his spells and quick at dodging Lily's, but he did not expect a fifth year to be so fast in her spells, sending one and then another barely half a second later.

"Is that all you have, girlie?" he sneered. They were now both dueling in the corridor with the chaos echoing from the Great Hall. He laughed as Lily was forced to do a pirouette to avoid a nasty-looking hex. "_Crucio!_"

Lily's eyes widened as she recognized the use of an Unforgivable Curse. She didn't have time to respond as the jet of light flew her way.

But the pain did not come. Instead something, or someone, big had launched against her side and knocked her to the ground.

"Close one, Lily-Bean. Prongs doesn't like it when you take chances," Sirius Black whispered cheekily as the curse flew over their heads and exploded against a statue.

Lily felt the strange urge to laugh. Only Black could find time to joke in this situation.

Both of them stood up, but the large Death Eater had summoned friends. They were now outnumbered five to two. Lily groaned as their chances of survival dwindled with each Death Eater.

Normally Lily did not like it when she was paired with Sirius, but facing all the Death Eaters, she was deeply grateful he had her back. Although he could be annoying and arrogant most of the time, he was an excellent dueler and would not run away from the fight. Lily could count very few people she would rather have face a bunch of ugly Death Eaters.

"Ready, Flower?" Sirius whispered as the Death Eaters laughed at the two teenagers, not even bothering to finish them off quickly.

"One, two, three!" Lily said.

"_Stupefy!_" the two Gryffindors yelled. The blond one in the middle was on the receiving end of both spells and flew backwards, clearly unconscious.

"_Crucio!_" the grimy Death Eater yelled. Lily ducked while Sirius shot a Bat-Bogey Hex at him, but six more Death Eater's emerged to join the battle. Lily felt her heart sink. Together, Sirius and she could take the original five with difficulty but eleven? Doubtful.

"Run!" Sirius yelled. Lily did not hesitate. Both she and Sirius sprinted down the hall with the ten Death Eaters still standing huffing and puffing behind them.

It wasn't like Lily and Sirius didn't have support. In fact, many portraits were shouting profanities at the Death Eaters and encouraged Lily and Sirius to keep running to wherever Sirius was going; it was just that there was a limit to Lily's skill.

"In here," Sirius hissed. He grabbed her arm and shoved her behind a tapestry. Lily stumbled forward, expecting to slam against solid stone, but she encountered nothing but air. It was obviously one of the Marauder's shortcuts.

The feet outside skidded to a stop accompanied by a loud crash. One of the Death Eaters had collided with a suit of armor.

"Where did those little twerps go? I've been needing to practice my Cruciatus Curse," one reedy voice rasped. He sounded close to the tapestry Sirius and Lily now hid behind.

Fearfully, Lily glanced wide-eyed at Sirius who held a finger to his lips. The message was clear: _our only advantage is surprise._

"They're 'round here somewhere. Check the doors," another one ordered in a gruff voice.

Lily's grip tightened on her wand as the sound of Death Eaters opening doors and pushing tapestries aside grew closer. Beside her, Sirius remained perfectly still, poised like a dog with the scent of prey, ready to pounce swiftly and silently.

A hand closed on the edge of the tapestry they hid behind, and Lily sucked in a deep breath, steeling what Gryffindor nerve remained. The sound of the curtain drawing back to reveal them was fingernails against a chalkboard to Lily. Her heart hammered with a renewed vigor and adrenaline shot through her body.

"_Everte Statum!_" Lily yelled. The Death Eater who had pushed aside the hangings was violently hurled head over toe until he shattered the glass of the window and fell through the jagged hole out of sight.

"_Incarcerous_," Sirius flicked his wand upwards and ropes bound a short Death Eater who yelled out for help as the ropes stretched across his pale skin.

"_Incendio!_" the lead Death Eater yelled, and he jabbed his wand at Sirius who leapt aside to avoid the jet of flames that effectively set fire to a green tapestry.

Sirius rolled and landed, crouched, on his feet and aimed another Bat-Bogey Hex at the Death Eaters.

Three of the masked men took advantage of Sirius's momentary distraction and sent a burst of blue flames at him.

Lily saw this and reacted instinctively. "_PROTEGO!_" she screamed, and a shield erupted around Sirius and herself, halting the treacherous blaze mere feet from Lily. The fire licked the shield Lily conjured, but the shield held fast.

Another Death Eater grinned crazily at Lily's Shield Charm and raised his wand, still crackling evilly.

"_Avada_-"

"NO!" Alice screeched. She, Marlene, and James crashed through the hidden passage Sirius and Lily had just left. Marlene sent a Stunning Spell at one of the Death Eater's behind Lily and Sirius, but he dodged it. James aimed a charm at a suit of armor, and it immediately sprang to life, its joints creaking noisily.

Alice did the typical thing and jammed her wand into the Death Eater's eye, causing him to howl in pain. She hopped back clumsily, almost tripping over her dress, to avoid his flailing arms.

Marlene joined Lily in dealing with three Death Eaters at once while James, Sirius, and Alice took on the other three. Lily didn't even think as she and Marlene shot hex after hex at the Death Eaters but instead let the adrenaline fuel her and her instincts take over.

Lily blocked one Stunning Spell, and Marlene aimed from under Lily's arm and shot an Impediment Jinx in retaliation, but the man was quick to block it.

Suddenly the Death Eater stopped as one, looking up at the sky as if expecting something; then they turned away as one and flew, though not before one shot a curse at Alice.

"_Mucro poena quod detrimentum!_" a tall Death Eater yelled. He slashed his wand in a complicated slicing motion, and a purple streak hissed through the air.

Lily hastily threw up her shield, but the Death Eater had barely finished his curse before flinging another purple curse. This one was right on mark, and none of the teenagers had time to avoid it before Alice screamed and collapsed from obvious pain. She was unconscious before her head hit the floor.

"Alice-" Marlene yelled, and then she drew in a long shuddering gasp as if she had been doused in icy cold water, and Peter squeaked from afar.

It was a freezing cold, settling down around them and chilling Lily to the bone. Iciness covered Lily, and the air clouded as an unnatural fog filled the corridor; it was something Lily had only felt when she had taken the potion in one of her lessons, and she knew what was coming:

_"Do we have to go through this again, old man? You think that seventh years like us will quail behind these curses?"_

_"Kill me then. Kill me, and I'll be honored to die for somebody else. I may be the Secret Keeper, but you'll never get it out of me…"_

"No…" Lily moaned, clutching her ears, hoping to black out the sound.

The fear cut through her like a knife. There was no hope, no happiness, no joy; it was a cold and barren world of stone and dirt, devoid of any life; her hands started to turn blue.

Somebody's screams floated through the air, but all Lily could do was listen to the person succumb and fall unconscious, yet another victim to feel the wrath of a Dementor.

The hopelessness of the Dementors was suffocating her, and she scrambled for a happy memory, but as if there was a giant vacuum, every memory faded as quickly as it had come; Lily's knees had now given out from the terror.

"_Expecto patronum. Expecto patronum…_" Lily gasped, a small wisp of silver escaping her. She knew before she had even finished the spell that it wouldn't be enough.

The Dementor appeared out of the fog, the black cloak billowing softly in an unseen wind. It withdrew a moldy, grayish hand which could have come from a zombie and glided towards her.

The cold had now trapped her; all that was left was the paralyzing terror and Stoughton's screams. She was going to die right there, at the complete mercy of the Dementor.

Lily gasped as somebody grabbed her hand and dragged her away. The person started to let go, but Lily grabbed it so tightly she must've been cutting of the circulation, but the warm hand was all that was keeping her grounded to reality, and Lily was determined not to lose it. She looked up to see the person she was holding hands with.

"James?" Lily asked, barely able to hold the terrible memories at bay. He was deathly pale and shaking; he was so fragile for a moment that it was impossible to connect him to the arrogant Marauder.

"Nice little mess we got ourselves into," he asked weakly, a half-hearted smirk barely visible on his face.

The Dementor was right on top of them now, and Lily couldn't draw any type of feeling. Whatever the Dementor wanted to do, she would be powerless to stop it.

James's grip on her hand tightened, and she focused on the warmth. She couldn't picture Alice or her parents. The only thing she could think of was what was right in front of her; James pulled her closer, and Lily could see his face.

A new kind of fire trickled through her heart, replacing the fear with determination. "_Expecto patronum!_" Lily yelled, a new feeling melting the ice of the Dementor.

She had been expecting a shapeless cloud of white vapor to emerge from her wand, just like her lessons, but instead something else, an animal, burst forth and charged the Dementor. With a soundless shriek, the Dementor retreated, and the air was warm again.

James coughed and stirred by her side, but Lily's attention was on the silvery animal that she had somehow summoned.

It was a doe; the most beautiful doe Lily had ever seen. It silently stepped towards her, bowing her head slightly, as if it was thanking Lily for something.

Lily reached forward to touch it, but instead the doe blinked her long eyelashes and vanished.

Silence and then, "What is that?" Sirius asked, stunned. Lily barely tilted her eyes to see that Sirius was still getting up off the ground, though he was very white and shaky.

"She's my Patronus," Lily murmured almost inaudibly.

"Where'd you learn to produce a Patronus?" Sirius demanded; Lily's eyes flashed at the tone that meant Sirius was almost back to his old self.

"Sage Rawlings taught me third year," Lily responded.

Peter gasped and said something. Sirius started arguing with him, but Marlene said something sarcastic, and then Sirius and Marlene started arguing while Remus looked on, trying hard not to laugh.

"She's beautiful," James said quietly, the other Gryffindors still arguing in the background.

Lily looked at him; he was completely sincere and there was no hint of sarcasm or anger that she cast a spell he couldn't. Without his arrogance to cover up everything good, Lily found herself staring into his eyes, noticing for the first time that they were a beautiful shade of hazel.

"We need to get Alice to the Hospital Wing," said Marlene, snapping Lily of her trance.

* * *

><p>"How is she?" Lily asked tentatively, poking her head around the screen surrounding Alice's bed.<p>

Marlene glanced behind her. Madam Pomfrey was leaning the bed, and a very recognizable head of blond curls were visible from beneath her arm. Alice seemed to be drained completely of blood: her face was deathly white, and she twitched in pain.

"Madam Pomfrey said that the curse the Death Eater used was one of the Darkest spells she had ever seen. If anybody had waited a second longer, Alice would've died, but Pomfrey's confident with the help of Dumbledore and Slughorn, she'll make a full recovery. She's already much better."

Lily feared she would puke if Marlene told her about Alice before she woke up. It was hard to imagine what was worse than what she saw now.

"You're welcome, Lily-Flower." Sirius appeared from behind Alice's screen with James just a little further behind. A thick bandage covered Sirius's neck and part of his collarbone while James had several deep gashes across his face.

Lily took a deep breath. Through the battle, the fact that she hated Sirius and James had erased itself completely from her mind, but now her feelings surfaced without the adrenaline rush to distract her.

"Thank you, Sirius. Thank you, James," she said kindly; but strangely, the words did not seem alien on her tongue like they used to be.

James winked. "Can I get a kiss as a thank-you gift."

Lily grimaced. He may have saved her life, but he was still the same annoying, stuck-up Potter. "Maybe later." She couldn't outright deny him after everything that had happened.

James's eyes lit up like Christmas. Lily giggled at his hopeful look.

"Ask again after all of this has been sorted out."

**As promised, here is my present to you lovely readers: three chapters in one day. Anybody happy that you get triple the normal update or if you prefer to look at it: over 10,000 words?**

**I wanted the conversations with Terry to be a bit awkward because in my mind, the only person Lily belongs with is James :) And the Marauders finally become animagi! I hope you liked that part and the little moment between Lily and James. Unfortunately, it will still be a while before they get together :(**

**So what did you guys think of these chapters? REVIEW PLEASE! Give me a little Easter present by giving me a nice, long, full of constructive critisicm reivew.\**

**Thank you to twilightstargazer, alcatluvr13, lynnnnyl, and IllusiveButterfly! Thanks for your reviews! You guys keep me writing the next chappies :)**

**Your three in one Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**


	41. On a Full Moon

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"Thank you, Sirius. Thank you, James," she said kindly; but strangely, the words did not seem alien on her tongue like they used to be._

_James winked. "Can I get a kiss as a thank-you gift."_

_Lily grimaced. He may have saved her life, but he was still the same annoying, stuck-up Potter. "Maybe later." She couldn't outright deny him after everything that had happened._

_James's eyes lit up like Christmas. Lily giggled at his hopeful look._

_"Ask again after all of this has been sorted out."_

**On a Full Moon**

"So what happened?" Mary asked as Madam Pomfrey forced yet another foul-smelling potion down Alice's throat. Alice squeezed her eyes shut and wrinkled her nose in obvious disgust, and Lily giggled at her comical face. Madam Pomfrey shook her head at Alice's tactics to showing her growing distaste for the Hospital Wing.

"Black kept saying how cute I was when I was angry, and then he proceeded to snog some random Ravenclaw," Marlene said through clenched teeth.

"That's Black, isn't it? The womanizer of Hogwarts," said Lily. "Last year was bad enough, but I don't think he's had more than one week with the same girl."

"And yet they keep coming back for more, don't they?" Marlene sneered. "Honestly, they are complete idiots if they think he actually likes them. He just toys with them and then leaves them crying in some random broom closet. Those kinds of girls give women everywhere a bad name."

"I think we got the point, Marlene," Alice said, "Ow," she winced as she moved to quickly. Lily had no clue what the Death Eater had used, but it had done more than enough damage to Alice. A full week later, and she still couldn't leave her bed for the sharp pains in her chest.

"Yeah, our little Marley's got a crush on Sirius," Mary snorted, "Ouch! That hurt."

Marlene had elbowed her. "One: my name is not Marley. Two: I do not like Sirius Black."

"I never said it was wrong! He's hot; I completely get why you would be attracted to him," Mary said.

Lily shook her head; Mary was just getting worse and worse.

Marlene groaned. "Just shut up, Mary. Let's focus on one couple at a time."

"Aha! You admit it; you're attracted to Sirius Black!" Mary jumped up, pointing her finger at Marlene with a look of triumph on her face.

Marlene blushed, now redder than the Gryffindor scarf she always had on outside. "Didn't I tell you to be quiet, Mary?"

"Ooooo…Marley's got a cruuuush. Marley's got a cruuush," Alice sang.

* * *

><p>"You know that Lily's Patronus is a doe," said James while lounging in the dormitory with Sirius and Peter in their own beds.<p>

"Well spotted," Sirius said drily.

"And my animagus is a stag," he continued as if Sirius hadn't said anything.

"Really? I had no idea."

"So it's likely that my Patronus is a stag…"

"Wow. It's like magic."

"A stag and a doe. Tell me that there isn't some kind of connection," James said, finally looking at Sirius as if daring him to contradict the theory and say that there was no such thing as soul mates.

"As awesome as that theory is, Prongs, there's just one little problem."

"Really? I thought that the logic seemed pretty undebatable. Is there something between her Patronus and my animagus that I missed?"

"Lily-Flower hates you."

* * *

><p>"Remus, what are you doing here?" Lily asked as she exited the Hospital Wing with Alice sound asleep in her bed. Marlene and Mary had already gone up to the common room to work on McGonagall's essay which Lily had finished yesterday.<p>

Remus tried to smile, but his deathly pale face ruined it. The circles under his eyes stood out like black on white, and Remus's eyes were glassy.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, just a little under the weather," Remus waved his hand casually.

"Right…" Lily said. She glanced outside to the night sky when she realized the full moon was going to come up in less than thirty minutes.

"I'll just let Madam Pomfrey help you. See you up in the common room," Lily said, hurrying out of sight.

* * *

><p>"Five minutes. Let's go," Sirius said, glancing at his watch.<p>

James extracted his Invisibility Cloak quietly. Everyone was in bed already, but he still jumped at the tiniest sound. James threw the Cloak over all three of them, and together, they shuffled towards the portrait hole.

James was about to reach out his hand to push open the portrait, but it already opened before he could.

Lily climbed through entrance. Her hair was disheveled, but she still looked beautiful. The Marauders pressed themselves flat against the wall as Lily passed within an inch of James. He caught a whiff of her intoxicating vanilla scent

Sirius elbowed James sharply after he had sucked in a very audible breath.

Lily paused, and stared at the spot where James was. Her eyes narrowed.

"Lily, there you are! We've been looking all over for you." Mary appeared at the bottom of the stairs clad only in baby blue pajamas with her shoulder-length, light brown hair extremely messy.

For once in his life, James wished Lily would listen to Mary and go away, and James was sure it would be the last.

They waited without daring to breathe as Lily shrugged and continued to walk towards the staircase to the girl's dormitory.

"C'mon," Sirius whispered, grabbing James's arm and tugging him through the portrait hole.

The grounds were silent as the trio made their way towards the Whomping Willow. James's heart was hammering. It was easy when they just bended the rules by wandering about at night and sneaking some food from the kitchens, but James was stepping into uncharted territory with Sirius and Peter by becoming the youngest unregistered animagi. For the first time, he actually considered the consequences if they were caught.

James stuffed the cloak into his pocket. They stood in front of the Whomping Willow, watching the branches sway harmlessly in the cool night air. A very distant howl reached James, and his hair stood up with the anticipation of what they were about to do.

James took a deep breath and looked at his friends. Peter was shaking from head to toe and chewing his nails nervously while Sirius's eyes were blank as he stared at the trunk of the tree.

"Ready?" James asked.

Sirius nodded slowly while Peter squeaked in fear.

"Wormtail, you have to press that knot," James said, pointing to the trunk. They had gone over what they had to do the previous night, but, admittedly, it was much more nerve-racking with the Whomping Willow placed in front of them.

Peter closed his eyes, and his form shrunk. His clothes melted into fur, and a tail grew from his backside. In two seconds, he was a rat just like any other common rat.

Peter streaked across the grass and disappeared. James knew Peter had done his job when the tree went rigid. Sirius groaned as they stepped closer to the hole Remus disappeared through every month. They would have to crouch.

"Merlin, couldn't they have made this a little bigger?" Sirius complained as they squeezed farther through the tunnel. Up ahead the passageway grew smaller, and James's head was soon level with his knees. Any smaller and he would be flat on his belly trying not to get wedged halfway through to the Shrieking Shack. Madam Pomfrey would have a lot of questions when she came back for Remus and instead found the Marauders with an unusually intelligent rat trying to play charades with her.

Suddenly, it opened up. James paused while Sirius emerged from the tunnel tugging at his jeans and moaning about his messed up hair.

A faint light came from up ahead, but it was too far away to discern details.

"Wormtail," James turned to the rat scampering around his ankles in terror. The rat stopped when James spoke. "Run up ahead to see if Remus is there."

"No need," said Sirius as a howl pierced the night, unexpectedly close. The rat squeaked and hid behind Sirius's left foot.

James turned to Sirius, who nodded as another series of wails reverberated around the earthen walls.

James closed his eyes, and the familiar warmth spread across him, reaching from his ears to his toes. In his place was a stag, alert and cautious. Sirius had transformed by his side into an enormous, shaggy dog. While Sirius was smaller than James, he still dwarfed many of the younger students back up at the school.

Peter scurried ahead with Sirius bounding after him. James paused for four seconds before he cantered towards the light.

The black dog that was Sirius sniffed the door, the fur raising slightly. He raised one large paw and pushed against the door, but it didn't budge. James didn't expect it to. He highly doubted Dumbledore would be stupid enough to take all these precautions, but forget an unlocked door. Sirius turned the handle, but it was hopeless to expect an entrance to a werewolf on a full moon to be easy enough for a five-year-old to open.

Sirius stared at James almost helplessly, his eyes much too aware of the surroundings for a regular dog.

James transformed back into his human self. He pulled out his wand and muttered softly. The door clicked.

James stuffed it wand back into his shirt. He prepared to transform, but instead he froze at the sight of a glowing yellow eye peering from the crack of the door.

With a fierce growl, the eye disappeared, and the door was torn off its hinges.

James found himself standing a mere two yards away from a full-fledged werewolf. Standing well over six feet, the wolf, for James tried not to think of the mindless monster as Remus, stood on its hind legs, snarling and growling with fangs protruding from the long snout. Longs claws curled from a paw-like hand. Fur the color of Remus's hair covered the wolf's body.

The worst part were the eyes. James could strangely see similarities to Remus in the glowing, lamp-like yellow eyes, but wolf was anybody but Remus. There was no recognition for James, just an animalistic, suspicious glower that chilled James to the bone. The monster reared, but James was still staring, shell-shocked by the werewolf, and unable to move.

The werewolf let out one ear splitting roar and charged James, who felt the feeling leave his legs.

A streak of black flew through the air and threw James away from the wolf. He landed on the soft ground several yards away from a dog baring his teeth at the werewolf who had missed James and slammed headfirst into the opposite wall.

The werewolf swiped at Sirius who leaped back, still snarling brutally with his back to James.

A rat scampered up James's arm and stopped directly in front of his face. It mimed squeezing his eyes and concentrating hard. James nodded, and Peter skipped off his chest. James stood up and quickly transformed back into a stag.

The werewolf turned on the new threat in its mind, and James saw saliva flying from his mouth as the wolf twisted its head from side to side, snapping its powerful jaws in anger and flashing the deadly teeth.

James charged the wolf with his antlers pointing directly at the animal, who just flexed his arms threateningly. James hit the wolf on his left side, and he stumbled backwards towards the door he had previously pulverized.

Sirius jumped at the wolf and clamped his jaw on the wolf's arm. Sirius pulled the wolf towards the entrance, and he tauntingly backed up, almost playfully. James rammed the wolf again, and he ran towards Sirius, who was still backing up into the Shrieking Shack.

* * *

><p>James blinked as the early morning sun streamed through the grim, streaked windows. He blinked several times before raising his head and viewing surroundings that were definitely not his dormitory. He tried to prop up his elbow, but it seemed unwilling to bend that way.<p>

A loud yawn sounded from the corner of the room. James turned his head, and a dresser crashed to the floor. Something had knocked it over.

Of course, he had antlers.

James got up on his hooves and cautiously approached a broken four-poster bed in the middle of the room.

Remus was sleeping with only a dirty blanket wrapped around him. His clothes were ripped to shreds on the side of the room. His dirty blond hair was almost as messy as James's, quite an accomplishment, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

James transformed back into a human, and went over to where the shaggy, black dog that was Sirius slept.

"Padfoot, wake up," James whispered, not wanting to disturb Remus.

Sirius the dog groaned and blinked his grey eyes.

"You smell like a dog, and your hair is filthy," James said, trying not to smile at the dog's reaction.

Sirius yelped and shot up on all fours. The dog barked and growled, but was still unable to talk. He realized he was still in animagus form and quickly changed.

"That's not cool, Prongs."

"Oh hush. Where's Wormtail?" James said, laughing.

Sirius picked up the sleeping rat by the tail and said, "Wormtail, wake up!"

The rat squeaked and saw the floor dangerously far away. He started squirming and clawing at midair.

"Calm down, Wormtail," James said as Sirius set him on the floor where he changed back to his regular form.

"Not funny!" he gasped as James and Sirius started cracking up. "How would you feel if you woke up, and you were a mile high in the air?"

"We get it, Worm-" Sirius stopped at the sound of the stairs creaking. Somebody was coming up.

"Quickly!" James hissed. He withdrew the Cloak, and the three of them dove under it just as Madam Pomfrey entered. Peter squeaked, and James elbowed him in the ribs, but Madam Pomfrey had heard them.

She spun on her heel and peered suspiciously two feet left of where the boys were hiding, not daring to breathe. After a minute, she shrugged and leaned over Remus.

"Up you get, Remus. That's a good boy," she gently whispered as Remus stirred. She waved her wand, and exact replicas of his clothes appeared on Remus. She wrapped a thick cloak around him and half guided, half carried him away from the room.

James felt a pang of sympathy for his friend as he stumbled on his feet towards the door and only Madam Pomfrey comforting him.

* * *

><p>"I find it hard to believe you're not afraid of me after the night before last," Remus said. The Marauders were holed up in the fifth year dormitory with a Silencing Charm, courtesy of Sirius, on the doorway so nobody would overhear.<p>

"We aren't. That wasn't you, Moony. The real you would never hurt anybody," James said.

Remus leaned forward slightly, a frown visible on his face. "What does that mean?"

James realized his mistake immediately. "None of us were hurt, Moony."

"Except me knocking Prongs across the room," Sirius snickered.

Remus turned on Sirius and said, "James is too big for you to just knock him down."

"Not in human form," Sirius said carelessly. James sighed in exasperation at his thoughtlessness.

Remus paled considerably. "What do you mean 'human form'? What happened, James?" he demanded in a shaking voice.

"Well…" James paused, trying to figure out the best way to tell Remus that he needed to change into human form to get the door open, but he, in his wolf form, got there before James could turn back into human form, and attacked him.

"James needed to perform a charm on the door, but you got there before he could go back to being our little Bambi," James chucked a pillow at Sirius, but he ignored it and continued, "So you went after him, but I distracted you, and then we were both able to get you back into the Shrieking Shack. Then we just played tag, and it was awesome."

James was afraid Remus would faint after Sirius had finished the episode, and he tried to come up with something that wouldn't make it worse.

"Nobody got hurt, Moony. It was just something that won't happen again," James said, glaring at Sirius who just rolled his eyes.

Remus mutely nodded. He stared blankly at the dark red and gold wall.

**There you have it. The first full moon adventure for the Marauders :) Hope you liked it.**

**I beg all of you once more to review. If we can break the 100 review mark, I'll update the next three chapters tomorrow. (They would be Rising Tensions, OWLs, and Consequences, and that would take you to the end of Part 1. But only if you guys can break the 100 review mark)**

**Special thanks to my reviewers: dbquills, Sarahrules336, ItDidntMeanForever, alcatluvr13, IllusiveButterfly, lynnnnyl, twilightstargazer, and Fawnspots. When I got 8 reviews, I was so happy even though it was the last day of spring break :(**

**Your bargaining Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**


	42. Rising Tensions

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"James needed to perform a charm on the door, but you got there before he could go back to being our little Bambi," James chucked a pillow at Sirius, but he ignored it and continued, "So you went after him, but I distracted you, and then we were both able to get you back into the Shrieking Shack. Then we just played tag, and it was awesome."_

_James was afraid Remus would faint after Sirius had finished the episode, and he tried to come up with something that wouldn't make it worse._

_"Nobody got hurt, Moony. It was just something that won't happen again," James said, glaring at Sirius who just rolled his eyes._

_Remus mutely nodded. He stared blankly at the dark red and gold wall._

**Rising Tensions**

"What is Abbott doing with Lily?" James muttered furiously while he watched Terry reach across the table to where Lily was laying her hand. A wave of jealousy smashed against him as their hands touched, and Lily laughed and smiled at a joke he just whispered in her ear. James would give anything to be Terry at that moment.

"He asked her to the ball, and they've been going out ever since," Remus said, glancing over at the couple, much less affected than James.

"Come on, Moony, this is when you say that you don't know, but you think Lily-Bean could do so much better, like Prongsie boy here." Sirius gestured at James who was still glaring at the completely oblivious Terry and Lily.

Remus shrugged. "Fine. You can quiz me. OWLs are coming up, and everybody needs to study. _Including you two_," Remus said, sounding like a father reprimanding two young boys who had just done something naughty and immature.

"Who do you think we are, Moony?" Sirius scoffed. "Little first years who don't know how to perform a simple Hover Charm? I say we get all the practice we need…like hexing that poor boy holding Lily-Flower's hand," he added in afterthought.

"I second that," James said, pulling out his while still glowering at Terry, as if challenging him.

"Guys-"

But Remus didn't have a chance to talk some sense into his friends. All he could do was watch James lose the one ounce of liking Lily had given him after the dance; Remus wanted to hit James for being so stupid.

There was a loud sound like a gunshot. People from all the corners in the Three Broomsticks jumped violently and ran for cover from the Marauders.

Remus watched as all of Terry's body parts morphed and twisted into strange shapes. His nose grew longer and pointier. Disgusting pimples and moles popped up everywhere. There was a particularly ugly one on the end of his nose, extremely noticeable. His ears grew until they were half the size of his face. Terry now resembled a mix of a goblin and a hag.

Lily gasped while James and Sirius slipped away, laughing hysterically with Peter right on their tail. Remus sighed and followed them, but not before he shot an apologetic glance at a fuming Lily who was trying her best to console Terry, who had covered his face in embarrassment.

* * *

><p>"She is going to kill you, Prongs," Sirius said conversationally as they sat near the fire. James and Sirius were tossing a Golden Snitch back and forth while Peter watched them in awe. Remus was busy leaning over his homework, but James knew he was trying not to imagine what would happen when Lily came in.<p>

"Relax. She likes guys who are confident in their abilities."

Remus sighed. "She likes confidence, but not arrogance."

"Arrogance? How is having a little fun arrogance?" James asked, completely put out by the seriousness in Remus's voice.

"You asked me before what she liked and what annoyed her. The first step is to stop bullying other people, James. She doesn't like bullies and mean pranks or tricks."

Sirius snorted. "You mean she has no sense of humor and doesn't know how to have fun? Prongs, you need a different girlfriend."

"_I mean_," Remus said, trying to bring their immaturity level down, "She finds things funny if they don't come at the cost of another's embarrassment. The jokes and pranks you used to do were quite funny to her, but Lily does not date any bullies. It also doesn't help that you perform them on her best friend."

"Alice Prewett is her best friend," James interrupted.

Remus shook his head. "Snape is her best friend, not Alice."

Sirius laughed. "Why'd you figure that?"

"She told me."

James was surprised. "I didn't know you and Lily were so close. Did you tell her about your furry little problem also?"

Remus shook his head. "No, but I think she knows."

"Moony, you have to tell me what else she's said," James said, leaning forward giving Remus his full attention.

"It's not my place, James. If she wants you to know, then she'll tell you."

"But she hasn't," James whined, sounding a bit like a five-year-old.

"And why do you think that is?" Remus asked, his voice cooler.

That shut James up, but another person disrupted the rare silence around the four boys.

"POTTER!"

Remus closed his eyes while James sat up straighter at the sound of the furious voice.

Lily strode towards him, her eyes burning with anger and hands curled into shaking fists.

She stopped in front of him and took a deep breath, no doubt so she wouldn't kill James accidently in her temper.

"Care to tell me _why_ Terry's still in the Hospital Wing with Madam Pomfrey who can't seem to figure out how to get the jinx off."

Remus shook his head behind Lily as a warning to James, but James paid no attention to him and winked cheerfully. "Nice to see you, Evans. May I ask you to Hogsmeade this-"

"Cut the crap, Potter. What did you do to Terry?"

"Is that his name?" James tossed the Golden Snitch in the air and caught it. Lily did not crack a single smile.

"Answer the question."

"He was holding your hand," James shrugged, "And I didn't like that."

Lily's hands were trembling, but James knew it wasn't fear.

"Let me make something very clear to you," Lily leaned close to James, her voice dangerously quiet. For once, James didn't laugh. He just stared at Lily like he was just realizing she wasn't above hexing him into next week. "It is none of your business who I date and who I hang out with. You are not a part of my life, so don't try to change that. I'm not going to wish you good night, Potter."

Lily stalked off, and James stared after her. "What did I do?" he asked Sirius. Sirius just shrugged helplessly.

* * *

><p>"She said she would be in the library. We have five minutes left," Marlene said, swinging her bag across her shoulder.<p>

Alice bounced up from her spot in the Great Hall. She turned to Lily who was finishing her bacon. "Hurry up, you. Mary's waiting." She skipped past Marlene and was at the entrance just as Lily got up.

"Did the house-elves spike her drink again?" Lily asked Marlene as they made their way to Alice. She was practically already running by the time Lily and Marlene were past the doors. They had to sprint to keep up.

"Has Terry said anything to you yet?" Marlene asked as Alice led the way.

"Yes. He said he didn't care what Potter and Black did. They were just two juvenile kids, and he would just ignore them as best he could."

"Mary would say just forget Terry and go out with James already," Alice added.

"No way! He's an arrogant pig, and I don't like him," Lily said as if that settled the matter. "Terry's nice and funny, and he's not a bully."

Alice shrugged. "Whatever you say, Lils."

They turned the corner, but were not expecting what they saw:

Mary drifted ten feet up in air, held by her ankle and revolving slowly over a small crowd of onlookers. Lily guessed they were Slytherin by the color on their robes. One Slytherin held his wand pointed at Mary who was convulsing and twitching in pain. A small trickle of blood dripped from a cut across her forehead

"Help!" Mary gave a strangled cry from her spot in the air. Her elbow jerked to a weird angle, and she gasped for everybody to hear.

"Let her down!" Alice yelled. She ran straight for the Slytherins.

The one with his wand out, Lily recognized him as Mulciber, smirked. "Certainly," said Mulciber. He flicked his wand, and Mary fell through the air.

"_Spongify!_" Lily yelled. Mary fell against the Cushioning Charm harmlessly.

All the Slytherins turned the new people. There were five of them. Mulciber stood in front with Avery directly to his side. A squat, toad-like woman positioned herself slightly behind Avery. She smiled widely, looking like a toad who had just swallowed a juicy fly. Lily recalled her from Slughorn's parties first year, but after the first two, Slughorn had stopped inviting her and started treating her like another student who was beneath his notice. Lily had always assumed that Slughorn didn't like her. Rosier and Wilkes were blinking stupidly behind the other three.

"All right, McKinnon?" Avery sneered at Marlene who gave him her dirtiest look.

"Leave Mary alone," Lily said coldly.

Mulciber smirked at Lily, but she stood her ground.

"You heard the Mudblood," said Mulciber. Marlene whipped out her wand, and Alice hissed furiously. "We should clear out."

All of the Slytherins waddled towards the nearest exit, leaving Mary whimpering on the hard, cold floor.

"Mary," Alice bent down next to her friend. "Shh, it's okay."

"Don't leave me," Mary cried as Lily and Marlene stopped in front of her.

"It's okay, Mary, we're not going anywhere." Marlene took her cold hand and wrapped her own around it.

Lily glanced up to where the Slytherins were just moments before. She needed to have a talk with somebody.

* * *

><p>"You need to do more about Avery and Mulciber. Either that or don't talk to them because they're a bad influence on you."<p>

"But they're my friends though, Lily. Friends shouldn't tell friends who to hang out with, and I thought we were supposed to be friends?" Severus said, "Best friends?"

"We are, Sev, but I don't like some of the people you're hanging around with! I'm sorry, but I detest Avery and Mulciber! Mulciber! What do you see in him, Sev, he's creepy! D'you know what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day?"

Lily shuddered inwardly so Severus wouldn't see at the image of Mary dangling helplessly in the air, twisting and turning in air from the pain Mulciber had been causing her. If Marlene, Alice, and she hadn't been there…Lily didn't want to think about it.

She reached a pillar and leaned against it, looking up into the thin, sallow face of her friend.

"That was nothing," said Severus. "It was a laugh, that's all-"

Lily wanted to yell at him. Charming the statues to dance the can-can was a laugh, but not causing somebody as sweet and kind as Mary that kind of terror and pain. That was Dark, and Lily wondered how in the name of Merlin Severus missed that difference.

"It was Dark Magic, and if you think that's funny-"

"What about the stuff Potter and his mates get up to?" demanded Severus. His color rose again as he said it, unable, it seemed, to hold in his resentment of the four boys from Gryffindor.

"What's Potter got to do with anything?" said Lily. He seemed obsessed with pointing out anything and everything that James and the rest of his friend did that against the rules. It was easy, but her friend used that as an excuse, and Lily was getting tired of it.

"They sneak out at night. There's something weird about that Lupin. Where does he keep going?"

"He's ill," said Lily. "They say he's ill-"

She didn't want Severus to know where he really went every night of the full moon. She might not have liked the Marauders, but Remus was her friend, and she shuddered at what would happen if it got out that he was a werewolf. People would be more judgmental of him than the Slytherins were to all the Muggle-borns.

"Every month at the full moon?" asked Severus.

"I know your theory," said Lily coldly. "Why are you so obsessed with them anyway? Why do you care what they're doing at night?" She tried desperately to steer the conversation away from Remus and his lycanthropy. She didn't trust Severus to not tell anybody if he ever found out.

"I'm just trying to show you they're not as wonderful as everyone seems to think they are."

Lily blushed at her friend's intensity.

"They don't use Dark Magic, though." Lily dropped her voice. "Potter and his gang are not as bad as Avery and the rest of your little friends."

"Potter and his gang are-what! You think you see all of what the _Marauders_," Severus spit out the word like it was the deepest insult ever. "Are doing? You're not going to-I won't let you-"

"Let me? Let me?"

Lily's bright green eyes were slits, and she saw Severus backtrack at once. He reminded her a little of Potter in the rare occasion of when he realized that he had gone too far at times.

"I didn't mean-I just don't want to see you made a fool of- he fancies you, James Potter fancies you!"

Lily tried hard not to laugh at Severus's words. Did he think she didn't hear how many times Potter had asked her out in his own, annoying way, but Severus plowed on before Lily could explain she saw and definitely heard that, and it irritated her beyond almost anything else.

"And he's not…everyone thinks…big Quidditch hero-"

"I know James Potter's an arrogant toe rag," said Lily, cutting across Snape. "I don't need you to tell me that. But Mulciber's and Avery's idea of humor is just evil. Evil, Sev. I don't understand how you can be friends with them."

Severus didn't have an answer. He stared into the distant forest with a faint smile on his face.

Lily threw her hands up in frustration. "Fine. Have a good night, Severus."

She spun on her heel and walked away without a spared glance. It was just getting to be too confusing. Severus, his friends, Mary, Alice, Marlene, the Marauders… She wished that there would be at least something in her life that wasn't messed up so bad. It was starting to get to her; all the cruel pranks the Marauders would pull, and their reactions to her...Severus and his excuses...her own friends, and the stress of balancing her sisterly love for the girls with her friendship with Severus...

What she wouldn't give to have a normal life.

* * *

><p>"Did he say anything about Mary?" Alice asked at the breakfast table. She leaned forward, and her voice was soft and understanding.<p>

Lily shook her head. "He came up with excuses instead. He likes use the Marauders to get out of things."

"How does he figure?" Marlene asked coolly. Unlike Alice, she was more concerned with the Slytherins themselves than preserving a failing friendship Lily and somebody she didn't like from the beginning.

"They get up to stuff, so I should be more concerned with them. Don't ask me how that works out."

"They don't do Dark Magic, though. Sirius and James would _never_ do something like that to Mary. They might perform a Jelly-Legs Jinx. What Mulciber did to Mary was just evil," Alice said darkly.

"That's what I said. Though Potter's a cocky git, he doesn't inflict physical pain."

"Which is about as much as you could give him," Marlene pointed out. "Mail's here," she added as she looked up at the flood of owls swarming the Great Hall. Lily spotted Marigold easily as she swooped down to drop the _Daily Prophet_. Lily started to open it before another owl, a Great Grey, landed softly in front of her and held out its leg.

Curious, Lily untied the letter, and the owl flew off without any kind of payment. The only people who wrote to her regulary outside Hogwarts were her parents, but they always sent mail with Marigold. Perhaps it was one of her friends' parents. At any rate Lily opened the letter to neat, slanted writing.

_Dearest Flower,_

_I just thought that you might this little token from me. With all the Hogwarts studying and OWLs coming up for you, you may have forgotten me, which I don't want. _

_Don't bother sending anything back. I'm sure I'll be able to have all the pleasure I need when we meet again, something that will happen soon. If you're worried about your family, I'm not interested in a couple pieces of filth. I would never stoop to staying inside a Muggle house longer than I have to. _

_When we meet again, it will be just you and me._

_Signed with many promises,_

_Francis_

**Okay, okay, I know. The conversation between Snape and Lily was slightly AU, but I wanted James to rescue Snape in sixth, and this conversation wouldn't make sense then. It just fits better into the story I have planned out. If you are one of those people with 100%, word for word canon and are screaming, tearing out your hair, cursing me to the deepest pits of Hell, and punching the computer because I didn't follow canon 100%, then keep doing whatever you're doing to release your anger, but keep any nasty comments to yourself. I do like constructive criticism, but you're going to fill up the reviews with only insults about my changing a conversation slightly, then go find a story where flamers are welcome. If you don't like what I changed, then just forget it.**


	43. OWLs

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_Lily shook her head. "He came up with excuses instead. He likes use the Marauders to get out of things."_

_"How does he figure?" Marlene asked coolly. Unlike Alice, she was more concerned with the Slytherins themselves than preserving a failing friendship Lily and somebody she didn't like from the beginning._

_"They get up to stuff, so I should be more concerned with them. Don't ask me how that works out."_

_"They don't do Dark Magic, though. Sirius and James would never do something like that to Mary. They might perform a Jelly-Legs Jinx. What Mulciber did to Mary was just evil," Alice said darkly._

_"That's what I said. Though Potter's a cocky git, he doesn't inflict physical pain."_

_"Which is about as much as you could give him," Marlene pointed out._

**OWLs**

"I think I spelled _Wingardium Leviosa_ wrong. I hope they don't take off too much for misspelling. I could see it in my mind, but I couldn't…" Lily said.

"Do me a favor, Lily," Marlene said, yawning at lunch, "And don't talk about past exams. Doing them once is bad enough. I don't need to hear about them a second time."

"Besides," Alice piped up. "You're the best in Charms, Lily, you're guaranteed to get an Outstanding in that subject.

"You don't know that," Lily said in an unnaturally high voice. "In order to get into St. Mungo's, I have to get the best scores. Healers require some of the hardest scores to get one OWLs and NEWTs."

Alice shrugged. "So we all have to get excellent scores. You want to be a Healer, and Marlene and I want to be Aurors. Sweet Mary here wants to be in Department of Mysteries."

Mary laughed. "McGonagall said they need at least Exceeds Expectations in Herbology, Transfiguration, Ancient Runes, Divination, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, and Potions."

"Well, you can go and study for Divination- why you even took that class is beyond me. Marlene thinks it is just guesswork," Alice said.

Marlene nodded fervently.

"Lily," said a new but very familiar voice behind them. Lily saw Severus cautiously approach the foursome.

"Severus, what are you doing? Shouldn't you be studying for Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Lily asked shortly. She was still a little angry with him over their last conversation.

"I need to speak with you." He glanced at the other three girls and added, "Alone."

"Sure." Lily turned back to her friends. "I'll be back soon. Don't forget the study session with Dorcas and the rest of the Hufflepuffs."

"We'll be there," Alice smiled reassuringly while Marlene frowned and narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Severus.

Once Lily's Gryffindor friends were out of earshot, Severus said quickly as if he were somebody would interrupt, "I wanted to say sorry about last night. I should've realized that Mulciber did do more than what he should have done."

"He should have done?" Lily asked coolly. She could feel her temper, closer to the surface than usual these days, rising. Anybody was in danger of receiving it these days and Severus was no exception.

"He shouldn't have done anything to Mary. You and your friends are just as bad as the Marauders these days. All of you gang up against people, four or five to one. You hex them cruelly, embarrassing and tormenting them needlessly, and then you just walk away like it was little less than nothing."

Severus's eyes flashed angrily. "I am nothing like those morons."

"You're right," Lily stated, her tone icy and unattached. "You're worse."

She spun around, but Severus grabbed her arm. He was clearly desperate. "Please, Lily, you're my friend," he pleaded with her.

"The thing is, Severus," Lily said softly, dropping her cold demeanor at the sight of her once best friend close to getting on his knees to beg on the ground, "I don't know who is who at the moment."

Severus's eyes were full of pain, and Lily squeezed his hand in an effort to comfort him. "I can't just turn a blind eye to Mulciber and Avery. What they are doing is wrong, and I won't forget about what they have done just to be with you more."

Severus opened his mouth to protest, Lily held up a hand, signaling she wasn't done talking yet. "But you're my friend, and I love you dearly. What we need is a clean slate, erasing everything that has happened recently between us. I refuse to give Mulciber and Avery another chance because they don't want it, and they'll completely ignore it. But you have to show me that you really are my friend, the person I met in the park such a long time ago. Can you do that, Sev?"

Lily had a hard time fighting back her tears. This was Severus's and her last chance to try to repair they're breaking friendship. If Severus did something like that again, then Lily wouldn't be able to repair their bond that had been there for the past seven years. She wanted desperately to go back to when they were nine, and there was no Houses, no rivalries, and no cruel pranks. This was her last chance not to lose Severus forever.

Severus nodded, grateful for his second chance.

"I have to get back to my other friends. We have DADA theoretical exam in one hour, and I have to study."

"Thanks, Lils," Severus smiled at Lily.

"Don't mention it, Sev."

* * *

><p>James yawned widely and ruffled his hair. He reread his answers, trying not to smirk at the question, <em>Give five signs for identifying a werewolf<em>. He couldn't help but think of how Remus would automatically ace it.

James turned to Sirius who was sitting four seats away. He also noticed Sara Gonzalez eyeing him hopefully, but he paid her no attention. Instead Sirius gave James a thumbs-up.

James just grinned and turned back to tracing the initials L.E. in a scrap bit a parchment. He unconsciously glanced at Lily who was sitting too far away to notice him. Her eyes were in a slight crease, something that James found to be extremely cute on her.

"Quills down, please!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! _Accio_!"

Over a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms, knocking him backwards off his feet. Several students laughed. A couple of students, including Lily, in the front desks got up, took hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows, and lifted him back on his feet.

James watch as Lily went back to her seat, tucking a stray strand of the gorgeous auburn hair behind her ear. She was seriously beautiful nowadays, compared to the little midget she was on the train in his first year. Granted, she was still short, but James could never imagine somebody as beautiful as her.

"Thank you…thank you," panted Professor Flitwick. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"

James jumped to his feet and stuffed his quill, spare parchment, and exam paper into his bag. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were all waiting for him at the entrance. He ran to catch up.

"Did you like question ten, Moony?" asked Sirius as they emerged into the Entrance Hall.

"Loved it," said Remus briskly. "Give five signs that identify the werewolf. Excellent question."

"Do you think you managed to get all the signs?" asked James in mock concern.

"Think I did," said Lupin seriously, as they joined the crowd thronging around the front doors, eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. "One: he's sitting on my chair. Two: he's wearing my clothes. Three: his name's Remus Lupin."

The three of them laughed while Peter continued to chew his nails.

"I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes, and the tufted tail," he said anxiously, "but I couldn't think what else-"

James had difficulty not rolling his eyes at Peter's idiocy while Sirius held no reservations rolled his eyes enough to make them fall out.

"How thick are you, Wormtail?" said James impatiently. "You run around with a werewolf once a month-"

"Keep your voice down," implored Lupin.

James mouthed '_sorry_' while Sirius said, "Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake. I'll be surprised if I don't get 'Outstanding' on it at least."

"Me too," said James. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a struggling Golden Snitch.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Nicked it," James said casually. A brief flash of Filch yelling and swinging a wet mop around while James sniggered underneath his Cloak appeared in his mind, but he decided that since Remus was still a prefect, he didn't need to know the details.

He started playing with the Snitch, allowing it to fly as much as a foot away before seizing it again while Peter watched him in awe.

James tried not to snort at the nerdy-ness of Remus pulling out a book and starting to read it in the beautiful June air. Sirius stared around at the students milling over the grass, looking like his normal haughty self while James continued to play with the Snitch and Peter gasped and clapped.

James glanced over to the girls near the edge of the lake. Lily was there. He could make out her dark red mane of hair even at that distance. If only she was looking…

"Put that away, will you," said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch, and Peter let out a cheer, "before Wormtail wets himself with excitement."

James grinned while Peter went slightly pink behind him.

"If it bothers you," he said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket.

"I'm bored," said Sirius. "Wish it was a full moon."

"You might," said Remus darkly from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration; if you're bored you could test me. Here…" and he held out his book.

Sirius just snorted. "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."

James spotted Snape walking towards them with no real clue where he was heading. James smiled slightly in anticipation. It was just what he and Sirius needed for a break from the rising tempers of people around them due to the OWLs.

"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," said James quietly. "Look who it is…"

Sirius's head turned. He became very still, like a dog that had scented a rabbit. His posture reminded James a lot of his animagus form.

"Excellent," he said softly. "Snivellus."

Snape continued to make his way towards the Marauders' tree. It was just getting better and better for James.

James noticed that Remus and Peter remained sitting; Remus was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows. James recognized his expression from many of the other times he and Sirius had played pranks on Snape; Peter was looking from Sirius and James to Snape with a look of avid anticipation on his face.

"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly.

Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack, which, James reminded himself, was probably due to all of their incidents before, and leapt into the expected action: dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes and his wand was halfway into the air.

James was too quick for him. "_Expelliarmus_!"

Snape's wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out his usual bark of laughter at Snape's unfortunate predicament.

"_Impedimenta_!" he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet halfway through a dive towards his own fallen wand. James smirked at Snape. He could feel his loathing turn into satisfaction at teasing Snape.

Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had got to their feet and were edging nearer. Some looked apprehensive; others entertained. James grinned at Snape. He was back in his element with Sirius.

Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands raised. James glanced over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. If this wasn't enough to convince Lily of his ability, he didn't know what was.

Peter was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Remus to get a clearer view.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" said James mockingly.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it. They won't be able to read a word."

Several people watching laughed. Peter sniggered shrilly.

Snape tried to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.

"You- wait," he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing, "You- wait!"

"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Snape let out a stream of mixed swearwords and hexes, but with his wand ten feet away, nothing happened.

"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "_Scourgify_!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him-

"Leave him ALONE!"

James jumped at the sound of Lily's surprisingly angry voice. He turned to find her, red-faced and furious. Her hands were shaking slightly, but she was still gorgeous Lily, even if she looked like she wanted to rip James's head off.

James tried to placate her anger as best he could. It wouldn't do any good to have her angry at him. "All right, Evans?" his voice more deeper and mature.

"Leave him alone," Lily repeated, glaring hard at James with the look of dislike she reserved just for him. "What's he done to you?"

_He's your friend,_ James wanted to say, _And I'm not_.

"Well," said James, very deliberately, "It's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…" The moment the words were out of his mouth, he knew it wasn't the right thing to say.

Sure, a lot of surrounding students laughed, but Lily didn't and neither, James noticed, did Remus.

"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toe rag, Potter. Leave him alone."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on…go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily. James winced at the harshness of her tone. It was getting to be worse than their regular fights in the common room. It was getting out of hand quick.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly. "OI!"

But too late; James hadn't noticed the Impediment Jinx wearing off on Snape, and Snape lost no time in using the distraction to his advantage.

There was a bright streak of red light. At first James thought is was a Stunning Spell, but terrible agony exploded from his cheek. It felt like Snape had taken a blistering, white-hot knife and slashed James. He could feel warm blood pouring from the slice Snape had made.

James whirled around, trying his best to ignore the throbbing, and thought, _Levicorpus!_

A second flash of white light later, Snape was hanging upside-down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of graying underpants.

Many people in the crowd cheered; Sirius, James, and Peter roared with laughter.

Lily's furious expression twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile. James looked at her hopefully, wishing he had finally cracked her and gotten her to laugh for once at something he did.

But instead she said, "Let him down!"

"Certainly," said James, and he jerked his wand upwards; Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius was faster than the unpopular boy on the ground.

"_Locomotor Mortis_!" and Snape kneeled over again at once, rigid as a board.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now.

James eyed it warily. The few times she had drew her wand, James usually came off worse. As smart as both he and Sirius were, it would be more than an equal fight if it came down to them.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly. He didn't want to start dueling with Lily. Her instincts and reflexes, James admitted to himself grudgingly, were much better than his, and she could be extremely clever and creative, using all the things around her to her advantage as well as her knowledge of spells and curses.

But Lily didn't even have her witty remarks to throw back at James, a sign that she was much more infuriated than she previously had been in these situations. James guessed it was the stress of the examinations.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and mutter the counter-curse.

"There you go," he said, as Snape struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus-"

James had expected Snape to go straight over to Lily and ask if she was all right, and then they would skip off to be the friends they were, allowing James's jealousy to surface again and make him fight hard not to curse him again. The least he thought Snape would do would be to just walk away.

But nothing prepared James for what came out of Snape's mouth next.

* * *

><p>Lily stripped her socks and shoes off. Marlene joined her on the rock perched her left while Mary and Alice sat on her right.<p>

She dipped her feet into the cool lake water, savoring the feeling. She would soon complete just Transfiguration, and then she would be completely done with OWLs until she got her results in July. Beside her, Alice closed her eyes and laid her head against the soft grass, looking entirely at peace.

"We only have Transfiguration left," Alice sighed happily.

"I know. I want to be done. All it's been for the past four months is study, study, and study some more," Mary groaned. "Not ever one weekend of rest.

"We need to study for Transfiguration now," she ignored Mary's moan at the very thought of the word that had become her enemy. "It's one more time. You could quiz me, Marlene. Marlene?" Lily asked.

But Marlene wasn't listening. Instead, she was focused on a group of five boys standing underneath the large oak that the Marauders had claimed long ago. She was frowning.

Lily instantly recognized James's untamable mess of jet-black hair. Sirius was standing next to him with an extremely haughty look in his eyes. Peter was chewing his nails while Remus didn't want to seem to look at the scene.

She saw Severus knocked off his feet by an Impediment Jinx. James had his wand out, and Lily felt her anger explode. They couldn't even wait to be out of school to jinx Severus.

"Where are you going?" Alice complained as Lily stuffed her socks and shoes back on her feet quickly.

"Somebody needs to stop them, and no other prefects are bothering to do their job. Plus he's my friend."

"Just let them figure it out. Boys will be boys," Mary said. She didn't seem to want to barge into the middle of one of the Marauders' fights.

"No! They have been bullying and teasing for far too long. It's about time they grew up." Lily marched off to the tree, leaving her friends to hurriedly scramble to their feet and pull on their own shoes.

"…wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Lily couldn't hear what Severus said to Sirius, but she did see James's eyes flash.

"Wash out your mouth," he was saying, with unexpected iciness in his voice. "_Scourgify!_"

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Severus's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him. Lily felt fury swell in her at the Marauders' antics.

"Leave him ALONE!" she yelled at the boys.

Thankfully, James and Sirius were too distracted by her appearance to continue to harass Severus.

"All right, Evans?" said James. Lily thought she saw a smile flicker across his face, and she wanted nothing more than to curse it right off.

"Leave him alone," she repeated. How many times did those two trouble-makers have to hear her say it. "What's he done to you?"

"Well," said James slowly, and Lily dreaded what he would say next. "It's more the fact he exists, if you know what I mean…"

Lily glared at him. Since this was his idea of humor, she pitied his parents and what they had to deal with.

"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toe rag, Potter. Leave him alone."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on…go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Lily wanted to scream at him. If he honestly thought that dates were supposed to be bargains not to bully her best friend, then she needed to teach him a lesson.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid." Sad, but true. James infuriated her more than everybody else in the world put together. She noticed the Impediment Jinx starting to wear off on Severus, and she tried her best not to smirk. James really did need to learn how to deal with angry people.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly, and turned back to Severus. "OI!"

But Sirius was too late; Severus had directed his wand straight at James. There was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood.

Lily gasped. When she had decided to let Severus hex them, she expected a Leg-Locker Curse or something similar, not Dark Magic like _Sectumsempra_. Something unfamiliar stirred inside her as James twisted his face from the pain.

James whirled around, and Severus was up in the air by his ankle for the billionth time that year.

Lily could feel her face twitch in concern, but she yelled, "Let him down!"

"Certainly," said James, and he jerked his wand upwards; Severus fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. He tried to reach his wand, but Sirius got there first.

"_Locomotor Mortis!_"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She withdrew her own wand and watched with satisfaction as both James and Sirius eyed it warily. At least they weren't daft enough to try to take her on in one of her tempers. They knew they would lose.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.

Lily almost laughed. _I'd like to see you try_, was the reply that came to mind, but she had come here to help her friend, so instead she said, "Take the curse off him, then!"

James sighed deeply, then turned to Severus and muttered the counter-curse.

"There you go," he said, as Lily watched with anger as Severus struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus-"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

**Normally this would be a cliffhanger, but you're welcome to continue on and read the next chappie that should be up in 10 seconds...**


	44. Consequences

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly._

_Lily almost laughed. I'd like to see you try, was the reply that came to mind, but she had come here to help her friend, so instead she said, "Take the curse off him, then!"_

_James sighed deeply, then turned to Severus and muttered the counter-curse._

_"There you go," he said, as Lily watched with anger as Severus struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus-"_

_"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"_

**Consequences**

Lily blinked.

She felt the ground beneath her disappear, and something _whooshed_ in her ears. The temperature dropped ten degrees, and Lily felt like Severus had thrown her off cliff. It would have been better if Snape had just taken a knife to her back or forcing her to stay away from her friends; anything but this.

Snape was glaring at the Marauders, but his one word was for her. After all, none of the Marauders was Muggle-born.

Shock. Betrayal. Fury. Hurt.

Lily felt all of these emotions fly around her as Snape yelled the unforgivable word for the entire school to hear. Although it felt like he had just humiliated for all of Britain to see, it was as personal as it would have been in a locked room with nobody around for miles.

All those times they had spent together, with Severus turning her wall green and Lily accomplishing her first spell, when they had the dandelion picking contest while waiting for their parents to pick them up, Severus's promises that she was the most important person in his world…

After all they been through, after all she had done for him, that was all she was to him: a filthy little Mudblood like all the other Muggle-borns he treated like that.

"Fine," she said coolly. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

She was shocked her voice was so unattached. It was the complete opposite of what she was feeling on the inside. While she was determined not to let anything show, the feelings of betrayal and grief at her best friend welled up inside her, threatening to break through in front of the people she hated most.

"Apologize to Evans!" James roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at him. It was one of the few times Lily had ever seen him lose his flippant attitude, and once again Lily didn't like that side of him.

"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on the handsome boy. She really didn't. Snape would have said it with or without James's help, but having the boy who provoked Snape into saying that would just make it worse. "You're just as bad as he is."

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She didn't truly believe them because deep down she knew James was nothing like the prejudice Slytherins, no matter how cruel he and Sirius could be in their pranks.

"What?" yelped James, "I'd NEVER call you a- you-know-what!"

Lily knew he wouldn't, but her emotions were ruling her at the moment, and she was too proud for her own good to tell him that, and she plowed on, fueled by nothing but her own hurt and anger. "Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can-" Lily was on a roll now, "I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK!"

Tears were coming on hot and fast, and she ran before anybody could see her. Somebody called her name, but they were going to have to wait. She just wanted to be alone: no Severus pleading for a second chance, no James trying to impress her, no Alice explaining that Severus was just another Slytherin. She needed time. Left to cry alone about the dreadful betrayal Severus had just committed out of his own misery and humiliation was all she needed.

* * *

><p>Lily thought he was just as bad as the Slytherins.<p>

James would give anything for her to just give him a second chance to prove himself; not at skill or cleverness, but at being a true Gryffindor. That was all he needed.

But Lily had given Snape a second chance, and it completely backfired, causing her a pain worse than what Snape had inflicted on his cheek.

An unexplainable rage crashed down upon him every time he thought about what Snape had yelled at Lily. The word alone was bad enough, but the thought of anybody yelling it at a close friend out of their own embarrassment was unthinkable to James.

"Do you think she meant what she said?" James asked Sirius, but Remus responded instead.

"Is that really what you're thinking about, James?" his demanded, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. This was the angriest James had ever seen Remus. His eyes were flashing dangerously bright, and his hard stare was almost enough to rival Lily's.

James had nothing to say, but that didn't deter Remus. "You just lost Lily her best friend. It's your fault that she's as unhappy as she is. Snape never would have lashed out at her if you and Sirius wouldn't have bullied and embarrassed him."

"Whoa, Moony-" Sirius said, stepping between the two Gryffindor boys, but Remus waved him aside, determined to get his point across to James.

"All you cared about was impressing Lily, but you never stopped to consider the consequences of your actions. If you really want to get Lily," Remus paused to catch his breath, "I suggest you grow up and take some responsibility for your choices. She'll only give you a second look if you stop acting like a twelve-year-old and start acting like your age. That is _if_ you really care about her."

James's face flushed at Remus's guilt trip. He hated these speeches; they always made him feel awful. Adding that to Lily's look of shock and hurt, he couldn't speak from the lump in his throat.

* * *

><p>"Lily?" a soft and comforting voice whispered in her ear.<p>

Lily jerked awake, just realizing she had fallen asleep in front of the Gryffindor fire. She sniffled and tried to wipe her eyes without anybody noticing.

"What?" Lily croaked hoarsely, her voice catching halfway up her throat.

Alice sat on the edge of the plush sofa. She looked at Lily with affection and love, the kind only a true friend could have. She gently wrapped her arms around Lily and pulled her into a hug.

The last of her defenses crumbled, and she sobbed into Alice's shoulder, her shoulders shaking violently. Alice patted her back.

"Shhh. It'll get better. It always gets better," Alice murmured in her ear. "You still have me, and Marlene, Dorcas, Mary, and Remus will always be there for you."

Lily had lost the ability to speak through her tears a long time ago, so she just nodded jerkily.

The door to the common room opened, and Lily turned, hoping it was either Marlene or Mary, but she was sorely disappointed.

It was James.

"Look, Evans, I'm-"

Lily didn't have any interest in what James was. All the feelings of rage and humiliation overflowed, and she acted without thinking.

_SMACK!_

Lily had slapped James right across his newly healed face with as much strength as she could muster. She funneled all the pain and fury she was feeling into her strike, and she could not hold back the tidal wave of emotions pouring forth.

James gasped in pain and twisted his neck absorb some of the blow, but he remained still.

"This is all your fault, James Potter," Lily's voice didn't raise above a whisper, but she made sure James heard every syllable. Her voice quaked with loathing and hostility. "I never want to you to speak to me again. I just lost my oldest and one of my closest friends, and you can sleep tonight knowing that you're the reason my friendship with Severus was ripped apart."

"Look, Lily-Flower-" Sirius said, coming up behind James.

Lily lost what little control she had at the sight of both of them together.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" she screamed, and James and Sirius flinched. "You just strut around Hogwarts, acting like you own the place! You have no thought to how it affects other people! YOU JUST LOST ME MY BEST FRIEND! How does that make you feel?" Lily snarled viciously. "Do you even think about tearing people apart just for the sake of entertainment? You don't care about anybody but yourselves. Because in the end, it comes down to who you truly care about. And you two have made it quite clear you don't give a rat's ass about anything but your amusement, no matter how it affects people. You should be ashamed to call yourselves Gryffindors."

Lily didn't see their reactions. She didn't want to spend another minute with them.

* * *

><p>James watched Lily sprint up to the girls' dormitory with tears streaming down her face. Her beautiful green eyes were glassy and red with grief.<p>

In all the time James had known her, he had never seen her lose control like that before. The manic ferocity she had released was almost scary. James rubbed his stinging cheek. Lily might have jinxed him several times, but she had never resorted to physical violence.

Alice stopped in front of them, her face cold and hard as marble. Her bright blue eyes blazed with an intensity almost equal to Lily's. James deeply wished she wasn't about to give him his third guilt trip that day. Remus's was terrible, but James wanted to give in and break down after he saw how much Lily was affected by Snape's outburst. Alice didn't need to add to that.

"I'm going to say this: don't talk to Lily. You have no idea how hard she has worked to try to get Snape back to being the boy she grew up with. For years, she's lost sleep and been tormented by all that he was doing. She was just finally starting to get him to listen, and you ruined it, both of you. After today, you don't deserve her. She is ten times the Gryffindor you are," Alice said frostily. She left, following Lily up to their dormitory.

James collapsed in the chair, staring aimlessly at the slowly dying fire. He felt terrible, but he also knew it wasn't even close to what Lily was feeling, which only added to his regret. For the first time in his life, Lily had cried. He had never imagined her capable of that; she was too strong and courageous for that. But she did, showing that even the best could have moments of hopelessness.

"I screwed up, Padfoot," James said tonelessly. "I should have listened to Moony."

"Sorry, Prongs. This all started because I said I was bored-"

"Don't blame yourself, Padfoot. I started it."

Sirius shrugged. "I'm just going to crash. It's been a long day. See you in the morning, Prongs."

"'Night," said James, not moving from his chair but instead just gazing at the fire, his glasses reflecting the flickering flames.

* * *

><p>"Lily! Snape's in front of the portrait hole. He's threatening to sleep there until he talks to you." Mary burst through the door, out of breath and slightly frazzled.<p>

"Tell him Lily doesn't want to talk. He should've thought about the consequences before he called Lily that awful word."

"He's threatening to sleep in front of the portrait," Mary said.

Lily took a deep breath. "I'll talk to him."

"You don't have to-" Alice started, but Lily interrupted her softly.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. He needs to know that our friendship is over. He doesn't get any more chances." Lily got to her feet before she or any of her friends could change her mind.

* * *

><p>Lily tip-toed down the stairs, gasping as she felt her feet leave the warm, thick carpet of her dorm and touch the cold stone in the stairs.<p>

Lily entered to common room to see it completely empty, for which she was thankful. She didn't feel like having people swoop down upon her and offer their condolences.

Lily froze when the sound of shuffling reached her ears; the common room wasn't as empty as she thought it was.

James jumped up when she entered, anxiously pushing his glasses up with his middle finger. His hair was messier than normal, which was saying something.

"Look, Lily. I-"

"You're what?" Lily snapped coldly, and James flinched. "Sorry? You're never sorry, James Potter. Not when you dangle second years up by their ankles, not when you strut around the school, thinking everybody will grovel at your feet, and not when you bully Severus."

"What do you want me to say?" James said, his voice rising slightly.

"Nothing. I never want to see your face again," Lily sneered.

"Why won't you ever give me a chance?" James was now yelling in anger, and Lily took a step back; she was the one with a temper, not James. However, Lily was determined to get it into his mind once and for all that he was nothing more than a little boy who inflicted pain for entertainment.

"You want to why?" Lily said in a perilously quiet voice. James was now staring at her as if afraid of what she might say. "I'll tell you why: because every time I think you might have some good in you, Potter, you just turn around and prove me wrong in the worst ways. You are nothing more than a attention-seeking boy who thinks that the whole world revolves around him. No chances will change who you are."

"And what about Snape?" James asked, matching Lily's tone and stepping closer so he was less than a foot away from her.

Lily froze. "What about him?" she asked in a trembling voice.

"He's shown who he really is, but you've given him thousands of chances. That's not the reason you won't give me a chance, Lily. So tell me, what is the _real _reason you refuse to let me show you that I'm more than what you think?" James asked in a soft voice that Lily had never heard him use before.

"I-" Lily was speechless; she didn't have an answer.

James smirked, and he leaned closer to whisper in Lily's ear, "If you can tell me the real reason why you won't give me a chance, I promise that I will never ask for a chance to prove that I'm different than what you think."

Without another word he left, leaving Lily standing stock-still in the middle of the common room for a full minute before she remembered that Severus was standing just outside the common room.

* * *

><p>Snape was standing outside the Fat Lady, twisting his hands and glancing around him, terrified that somebody would jump out him in retaliation for what he had said.<p>

"I'm sorry," were the first words out of his mouth when he saw her emerge.

Lily wasn't furious at him, she wasn't even angry. When she searched her feelings for some kind of emotion, there was none except extreme frustration and disappointment. She had burned up her remaining anger, and now she was blank as a clean slate.

"I'm not interested," Lily said, and she couldn't help but think how true that was. No matter what Snape did, he would always plead for an apology, and she would give it. But he just came back for more, and Lily had no interest in letting him get his seventieth chance. He was done with chances.

"I'm sorry!"

"Save your breath."

Lily folded her arms and glared at Snape. She could feel the anger slowly creeping back, erasing the blissful feeling of nothingness, but she was determined not to have anybody see her break. It was best to get the clean cut over with.

"I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here."

"I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you a Mudblood, it just-"

Her temper was battering at the edges of her breaking point, fighting frantically to smash the wall she had carefully created.

"Slipped out? It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends-you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?" The words were more difficult to get out than swallowing shards of broken glass.

Snape tried to say something, but he was empty of excuses.

"I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine."

"No-listen, I didn't mean-"

"-to call me Mudblodd? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?"

Lily couldn't stand it anymore. As much as it pained her to turn away from her friend, their goals were not the same. Snape was not the same boy she had met in the park all those years ago. The Severus she knew would never have done any of those things. But Severus was gone, and all that was left in his place was a cold-hearted follower of Voldemort. It would do no good to try to get Severus back.

He was gone.

**Although we didn't break the 100 review mark, the reviews I got were awesome, so I just went ahead and updated three chappies in one day because I love you guys so much for sticking with my story.**

**So finally the dread OWLs incident. I hoped I did it justice in your minds. OWLs and Consequences were going to be one chapter, but I decided to devote an entire chapter to the aftermath of Snape's comment. You got to see several different sides for several different characters: James, Sirius, Alice, Remus, and Snape all showed some things that I think are important. I hoped that they still managed to stay in character.**

**We are officially done with Part 1. Part 2 is the sixth and seventh years, and I have so many plans planned... hehehehe... (rubs hands together evilly). Yes, Part 2 you will find out the complete truth behand Shiloh Rawlings, but that doesn't mean you won't have to wait a little bit.**

**So please, let me know what you think of my take on the OWL incident and review review review! It might take me a week or two to get the next chapter up.**

**8 reviewers! That made my day! Thanks: twilightstargazer, lynnnnyl, ItDidntMeanForever, Smileyface Devil, BethMalfoy4922, ClamatiWP, RachelDJack, and Sarahrules336. (I think I responded to all of your reviews)**


	45. Part 2: New Beginning

**New Beginning**

_Ding-dong! Ding-dong!_

"Bloody hell," muttered James, rubbing his head and yawning widely. He glanced at the clock above the enormous fireplace; it was four o' clock in the morning.

_Ding-dong!_

Grumbling and cursing, James staggered to feet from the lavish sofa he had fallen asleep on. "I'm coming, I'm coming," he grunted, "Wait one bloody second, will you annoying, pesky, little- Padfoot!"

All traces of irritation vanished as he saw his best friend standing in front of the doorway. James launched one giant bear hug on Sirius, realizing that he hadn't actually seen him since school ended several weeks ago.

Then it hit James that it was four in the morning, and Sirius didn't have his usual bravado about him. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here at this unMerlinly hour? Not that I'm not pleased to see you," James added hastily.

"My parents and I had a bad row," said Sirius, "And I didn't have anywhere to go. I ran away, and I need a place to stay."

James didn't even want to imagine how livid Sirius's family was at him if he had run away after an argument that was much worse than their usual ones. However, James didn't ask a single question. He knew that Sirius didn't like to talk about his family, and James vowed he would not be the first one to bring it up.

"Of course," said James, "Come in, but take care not to smell too much like a dog around my parents." James playfully punched his shoulder.

"Me? Smell bad?" said Sirius, clasping his chest and looking like of the swooning women from a romance rip-off. "You're one to talk."

"Shut it, you," laughed James. He raised his voice and shouted to where he knew his parents were. "Mum! Dad! Sirius is staying with us for the rest of the summer!"

James's words were met with a squeal of delight from the place where Dilly was serving his mother breakfast.

"Sirius Black," Mrs. Potter emerged from the gleaming kitchen with an apron, hustling out to meet Sirius who she had not seen since the year before, her hair streaked with gray, much more than when both of the boys had been starting their fifth year. Mr. Potter followed. "My, my, I'm always telling Charlus that the school puts Stretching Jinxes on you two boys. You must have grown at least eight inches since we last saw you. Jamie here is at least a foot taller than he was at the beginning of last year."

"Morning, Mrs. Potter," winked Sirius. He hugged the small woman. "Looking lovely as ever."

"Oh, hush, dearie," she waved her hand, smiling fondly at Sirius. "You must be starving. We have some breakfast ready."

"Actually, Mrs. Potter, is it okay if I sleep a little first and then get some food?"

"Of course you can. And please call me Dorea, Sirius. You can sleep with James _as long as you don't demolish the house_!" she added sternly, wagging her finger at James who had the decency to look sheepish.

"That was only one time, Mum, and it was just the guest bedroom," James moaned.

"Hmph," Mrs. Potter grumbled. "I suppose. Now get up to that room before you two fall asleep where you're standing."

* * *

><p>"You're OWL results come today, boys. Are we going to be impressed or disappointed?" Mr. Potter boomed as the two sleepy boys took a seat in the dining room.<p>

"No need to worry, Mr. Potter," said Sirius. "We're us, and all the teachers secretly love us even with all of our detentions."

Mrs. Potter shook her head affectionately at Sirius's words, taking a seat next to her husband.

Just then an three owls swooped in: one holding the _Daily Prophet_, one for James, and one for Sirius.

James ripped his open. Out fell the normal Hogwarts letter and a new one, which James opened first and ran his finger down the writing.

**OWL Results**

** Outstanding (O) Poor (P)**

** Exceeds Expectations (E) Dreadful (D)**

** Acceptable (A) Troll (T)**

**James Charlus Potter has achieved:**

**Astronomy: E**

**Care of Magical Creatures: O**

**Charms: E**

**Defense Against the Dark Arts: O**

**Herbology: O**

**History of Magic: P**

**Muggle Studies: O**

**Potions: E**

**Transfiguration: O**

Mrs. Potter clapped as she looked over James's results. "Nine OWLs and five 'O's to top it off! Oh, well done, Jamie!" She squeezed her son into a tight hug that caused James to blush with embarrassment as his father and Sirius sniggered.

James smirked at Sirius. "I think Sirius did pretty well also, but he hasn't had any congratulations yet."

Mr. Potter roared with laughter as he realized what James was doing to his best friend.

"My goodness, Sirius, you should have said something! I didn't mean to ignore you." Mrs. Potter ran over to where Sirius was sitting with a biscuit in one hand and his results in the other.

"No really, Dorea, it's-" Sirius started, but he was cut off by Mrs. Potter's squeal.

"Nine OWLs and five 'O's, Sirius, that's wonderful! Same as Jamie! Look at your book lists. We were already planning on going to Diagon Alley to get James's new things, and we could also take you. No need to worry about your family," Mrs. Potter frowned, not liking how Sirius's family was treating him, "We'll cover the costs. It's no problem. What books and supplies do you need, Jamie?"

James hastily tossed away the regular welcome letter from McGonagall and scanned the new list.

Books and Supplies (Sixth Year)

_Advanced Rune Translation (Ancient Runes)_

_Spellman's Syllabry (Ancient Runes)_

_Numerology and Grammatica (Arithmancy)_

_Advanced Theory of Magical Numbers (Arithmancy)_

_Advanced Astronomy (Astronomy)_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Care of Magical Creatures)_

_Dreadful Denizens of the Deep (Care of Magical Creatures)_

_Standard Book of Spells: Grade 6 (Charms)_

_Quintessence: A Quest (Charms)_

_Defensive Magical Theory (Defense Against the Dark Arts)_

_The Dream Oracle (Divination)_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi (Herbology/ Potions)_

_Ingredient Encyclopedia (Herbology/ Potions)_

_A History of Magic(History of Magic)_

_Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles(Muggle Studies)_

_My Life as a Muggle (Muggle Studies)_

_Advanced Potion-Making (Potions)_

_A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration (Transfiguration)_

Please note that any classes a student will not be taking, they will not need that corresponding textbooks

"My, they don't leave many books out, do they" Mrs. Potter said, taking the list out of James's hands. "It's a good thing most students already have some of those books. Well, get ready, you two. We'll leave in one hour."

* * *

><p><strong><span>OWL Results<span>**

** Outstanding (O) Poor (P)**

** Exceeds Expectations (E) Dreadful (D)**

** Acceptable (A) Troll (T)**

**Lily Azalea Evans has achieved:**

**Ancient Runes: O**

**Arithmancy: O**

**Astronomy: E**

**Charms: O**

**Defense Against the Dark Arts: O**

**Divination: A**

**Herbology: O**

**History of Magic: E**

**Potions: O**

**Transfiguration: E**

"Oh, Lily! Those are wonderful scores! We're so proud of you!" Mrs. Evans hugged her youngest daughter who was still in shock over the results: ten OWLs with six 'O's. She was expecting her scores to be good with all the time studying with Alice, but not that good.

"Those are probably some of the best scores out of your entire class. Lily, that's amazing! Show those wizards you don't have to have a wizard and witch as your parents to do well in school." Mr. Evans kissed Lily on top of her head.

But Lily flinched internally at his words. Little did her father know how many more half-bloods and pure-bloods had that line of thought. She had never explained that much to her parents. The only thing they knew was that there were a couple of wizards who didn't like Muggles and Muggle-borns, and things were getting a little edgy up in the Ministry. Of course, things could already be getting worse; she didn't get the _Prophet_ and relied on Alice and Marlene to tell her and Mary what was currently going on in the Wizarding World through Marigold.

"Mum! Dad!" Petunia burst forth into the kitchen where Lily and her parent were eating the Sunday Chocolate Chip Pancakes. "Oh, hello, Lily," she added stiffly as Lily loudly squirted an excessive amount of whipped cream on her delicious pancakes to indicate her presence, her good mood suddenly vanishing with her sister in the same room.

Lily smirked sarcastically at her while her parents were attentive to Petunia and couldn't see Lily's face.

"What is it, sweetie?" Mrs. Evans asked, truly curious as to what managed to get Petunia as excited as she was on Christmas morning ten years ago.

"Vernon asked me to marry him!" Petunia squealed. She held up her dainty, long-fingered hand complete with a sparkling diamond the size of a large marble.

"Oh!" said her mother, surprised. "I didn't know…er…you two were so serious."

"I've been dating him for over a year now, Mother." Petunia said in an annoyingly superior voice. "He and I are the perfect match for each other. Yes, please, but no chocolate chips. I need to be able to fit into my wedding gown," she added as her mother offered her a plate for the pancakes.

Lily pretended to vomit into her pancakes, and Petunia noticed.

"What is with you, Lily?" she demanded angrily. "Ever since you've gotten back, it's been just sarcastic and obnoxious remarks about me and Vernon. I would have thought all schools, no matter the stuff they taught, would at least have the decency to teach manners and proper behavior. For God's sake, Lily, for once in your life, stop thinking about yourself."

"Petunia, just please ignore Lily," Mrs. Evans said, sending a meaningful glance at her youngest daughter who pointedly ignored it. "We'll talk to Lily later."

"Why don't you go over to Severus's for a little while? He might be able to help you calm down. After all-" her mother started, but she stopped short at the look on Lily's face.

Lily jumped up, knocking over her chair, but she paid no attention. "Snape is the last person I want to see. I'll go while you two talk with Petunia. I'm sure she has a lot to tell you." Lily turned without a word, grabbing only her wand and forcing it up her sleeve, her mood going from bad to terrible at the mention of her former best friend.

Her mother's words cut Lily deep. She had no clue that Snape was not the same person they had met. Not only did she have no idea where he was, she didn't want to see him. After the incident, she had completely avoided both him and the Marauders, including Remus. Lily didn't have much of a problem with that, seeing as they were all done with classes, and she always sent Alice, Mary, or Marlene down to sure the Marauders were not in the common room. She had sat at in the very backmost compartment, and disappeared from the platform the moment the train had dropped all the students off, and Marlene had scared Snape off when he got close to their compartment.

It was childish, Lily knew, to sink to such levels, but she couldn't trust herself not to scream or cry if she saw any of them.

Lily didn't even realize she was wandering towards the park where she and Snape had first met until she tripped over a broken swing. Eight years ago, she had flown off the exact same swing.

Lily knelt and traced her finger along the rusty swing. Memories came back from that day. Her ecstasy in realizing there was a whole other world around her, and she was a part of it… the joy of having somebody she could confide in… But they were now marred by the image of Snape shouting the unforgivable word at her, _Mudblood_.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Lily,<em>

_Words can't even begin to describe how so so so sorry I am about the incident after the OWLs. I was being humiliated, and I acted without thinking. I was just trying to insult the Marauders because of everything that's happened, and I never meant to call you that word._

_If I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat. I would trade all the gold in the world just for another chance with you. You were the only person to understand and accept me for who I was, and you still remain the most important person in my world._

_Please, Lily, I'm begging you: just another chance._

_Sev_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Lily,<em>

_You didn't respond to my last letter, so I'm sending you this one just in case you didn't receive my last one._

_I loved you dearly, Lily, still do. Where our friendship was, there is now a big, black hole in my heart. More than anything, I want you back, Lily. If it wasn't for the Marauders, I never would have called you that._

_It hurts me to think that you might leave._

_Sev_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Lily,<em>

_I need you to respond. I've been sitting here waiting for Marigold to come with a letter. I NEED to talk to you, Lils. It's paining me to imagine that you never want to speak to me again, and though you have every reason to, I PROMISE that with one more chance, I will focus solely on you and forget everything else if that means that you'll just talk to me. Not even the Marauders will be able to make me change._

_I'll surely die if you leave me. Words can't describe it._

_Sev_

One at a time, Lily carefully placed the letters in the blazing fire. She watched the fire catch on of the corners and slowly burn it so it was beyond recognition, just as her friend had been caught in the blaze and had transformed into somebody she couldn't recognize. The boy she had met on the playground that one sunny afternoon had vanished without a trace, leaving nothing behind but a shell for the other Slytherins to manipulate and twist to their wants and needs.

It didn't matter if the Marauders had bullied him all those years or not. He had changed for too much from Lily's nine-year-old playmate. After all _Severus _had taken to learning from the pure-blood elite, _Severus _had looked down on Muggles and Muggle-borns, and _Severus _ had shouted the unforgivable word for all to hear; it didn't matter if the Marauders were under that tree or a thousand miles away, Lily had realized that too late. It was something that had only happened between Lily and the stranger wearing Snape's face.

Yes, words could not describe it: the betrayal, the pain, the hopelessness.

The last letter Lily had thrown into the fire was finally entirely consumed by the fire, just like Severus had been consumed by the shadow of greed and selfishness.

**The last part was just so Lily could move on with her life. I thought it was an important part that I missed out on the last version, so I added it in. This isn't the best chapter, but I promise the next one will be better and longer. Plus, I thought that James and Sirius wouldn't try to pass an OWL that they wouldn't be taking sixth year. And I thought that it would be unrealistic if Lily got all 'O's. Pretty much the only thing I wanted to get across was that it really was a new beginning.**

**So what do you think of the first chapter of Part 2? Review, review, review.**

**10 reviews! (Squeals with delight): Sarahrules336, alcatluvr13, ClamatiWP, AshJaz, BethMalfoy4922, lynnnnyl, ItDidntMeanForever, RachelDJack, twilightstargazer, and PrincessDripDrop.**

**Your Part 2 Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**


	46. Switch

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_One at a time, Lily carefully placed the letters in the blazing fire. She watched the fire catch on of the corners and slowly burn it so it was beyond recognition, just as her friend had been caught in the blaze and had transformed into somebody she couldn't recognize. The boy she had met on the playground that one sunny afternoon had vanished without a trace, leaving nothing behind but a shell for the other Slytherins to manipulate and twist to their wants and needs._

_Yes, words could not describe it: the betrayal, the pain, the hopelessness._

_The last letter Lily had thrown into the fire was finally entirely consumed by the fire, just like Severus had been consumed by the shadow of greed, selfishness, and pure-blood mania._

**Switch**

"Lily! Lily, over here!" Alice waved from across the crowded platform, her blond curls bouncing up and down and her blue eyes sparkling. She started running towards Lily, pushing several grumbling people out of her way. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Evans!" Alice said happily, skidding to a stop in front of them.

"Hello, dear. How are you?" Mrs. Evans kindly, smiling at Alice.

"Fine," she said. Then she turned to Lily. "Hurry up, you. I want good seats. See you later!" Alice called, already dragging Lily away from her parents.

Both of the girls fought their way through the crowd of students, eager to get a good seat.

"Move it…excuse me…out of the way…" Alice shoved a sullen-faced Slytherin fifth year out of the way, but she didn't stop to say sorry.

"So what's new?" she asked, pulling open a compartment door.

Lily shrugged. "Did you get my letters? Petunia's getting married to that oaf."

Alice giggled. "You told me that. What else is new?"

Lily glanced out the window, thinking about the letters Snape had been sending her the entire summer, all futile attempts to mend something already beyond fixing. "Nothing you wouldn't expect," she said quietly, and Alice bit her lip, knowing without asking just what Lily was talking about. They sat in silence like that until Alice jumped up suddenly.

"Marlene!" Alice yelled at the sight of the tall girl.

"Hi," she said. "How was your summer?"

Alice shrugged as Lily hugged Marlene. "Not much exciting things happened. It was pretty quiet."

Marlene pursed her lips. "It wasn't so quiet at the Ministry… There is something you two need to see."

Marlene held out a copy of the _Prophet_ that she usually got. Lily took it uncertainly and began to read.

_**New Legislation Proposed:**_

_After several years of the Death Eaters gaining momentum, the Ministry has started to meet to propose possible solutions to the problem._

_Lucius Malfoy, son of well-known, pure-blood activist Abraxas Malfoy, and Salvatore Mulciber have been meeting with Minister Nobby Leach to work on several proposed laws meant to contain the unrest that has gripped the Wizarding world._

_No word yet on the exact measures that will be taken, but the main concern they are addressing first is the questionable importance for keeping Muggle-borns happy with their granted privileges if it is causing such a stir among witches and wizards. Many have been wondering whether the happiness of the extended liberties that the Muggle-borns is really worth the spiraling Wizarding world, and the proposed laws will be addressing that._

"_We have given them a life, jobs, and money at the expense of real wizards," says Salvatore Mulciber (45), "But when it comes at the expense of people, things must be stopped. That's what we are aiming to accomplish: restore the magical world to the rightful order."_

_Mulciber and Malfoy have recommended a Muggle-born register among other things, but it still remains under scrutiny until the Wizengamot has fully approved._

"THOSE BASTARDS!" Alice screamed in anger as she read the article.

"Hope you're not talking about us, Alice. We are, after all, your teammates," Sirius said, waltzing into their compartment with James by his side while Remus and Peter were standing behind them. Lily noticed a badge a lot like a prefect's badge on his chest, except with a C instead of a P.

Lily leaned as far away from the Marauders as possible; she was in no mood to talk to any of them. James caught her eye and grinned hopefully, but she just glowered and looked out the window. Thankfully James noticed this and didn't actually enter the compartment.

"Of course they are, Black," Mary said, lightly pushing Peter with her bags as she passed to enter the compartment, but she stopped smiling at the other girls' expressions. "What's going on?"

Marlene shoved the paper towards Mary, her disgust etched almost permanently in her face. "Read," she ordered.

Mary complied while James and Sirius looked over her shoulder. Mary's frown grew more noticeable as her eyes moved down the article.

"What the hell?" Sirius cried as James crumpled it up and threw it to the floor with revulsion clear in his eyes. "They aren't _real witches and wizards_? Our Lily-Flower can take on those idiots with both hands tied behind her back."

"So that means Lily and Mary will have to register?" Peter squeaked.

Mary shook her head. "My grandmother is a witch. I don't have to worry about that."

"Lily, what are you going to do?" Remus asked.

Lily had been sitting silent for the entire conversation, but at Remus's question, Lily's eyes flashed, an expression on her face that the girls knew all too well. "Oh, I'll show them my abilities if they try to make me register."

"'Atta girl, Lily-Bean!" Sirius cheered; Lily ignored him. She wasn't about to start talking to him.

"If they pass anything, though, that's going to fuel a fire demanding for more oppressive laws. It's only going to get worse, and they'll also start pressuring Hogwarts to enforce some things."

"Dumbledore won't stand for any of it. He's going to put up one hell of a fight before the Ministry can do anything to Hogwarts," James said adamantly.

"Yes, but the school governors can override what he says at times," Sirius pointed out.

James was about to answer when the door slid open, revealing Elena Smith, a fellow prefect except she was a Hufflepuff.

"Hello, Elena," said Lily.

"Hey, the meeting's about to start, you two," she said quickly, addressing Remus and Lily. Then she noticed the _Prophet_ on the floor, crumpled and ripped, and she snorted. "Fitting place for that rag."

Lily giggled as she and Remus followed Elena to the prefect compartment. Students were fooling around in the corridors, but the prefects let them play. They were all much to focused on other things to deal with Fanged Frisbees at the moment.

"Don't let that stuff get to you, Lily. You're one of the best witches I know, and my mother has introduced me to a lot of people."

Lily smiled. "Thanks, Elena. How was your summer?"

Elena sighed. "Barbara and I got to visit my relatives in the States. It's so much more quieter there. Oh, look! Gladys's sister is a new prefect."

Lily entered the compartment saw Amelia Bones, a Hufflepuff prefect Lily knew from last year, standing with the silver Head Girl badge gleaming on her robes. Eric Rogers, from Ravenclaw, was the new Head Boy.

Lily looked around at the new prefects. She swallowed as she noticed the there were no other Muggle-born prefects. She would be all alone to face taunts from the Slytherins.

Lily glanced at the Slytherins in the corner. As usual, they were mad that no pure-blood fanatic had gotten a Head badge. The only Slytherin close to being civil with the rest of the prefects was Astoria, who was talking to Jesse Corner, a half-blood, while the rest of the Slytherins glared at Jesse, angry that Astoria wasn't calling him a Mudblood.

Snape glanced at Lily when she answered and moved towards her, but she hurriedly struck up a conversation with Teresa, who noticed Snape and glared at him. Lily was grateful for Teresa keeping Snape away. She wasn't in the mood to deal with him right now.

Teresa and she sat down next to each other while Amelia started the meeting.

* * *

><p>"Lily, wait," Remus said, catching her arm as Lily moved away from him as fast as she could.<p>

"What do you want?" Lily asked flatly.

"About the OWLs-" Remus started to say.

"Don't," Lily interrupted. "I know what you're going to say, Remus, but do you really think I haven't heard it from other people?" Her voice wasn't harsh, but it wasn't kind either.

Remus shook his head mutely.

"You sat by while somebody was being bullied, Remus. I expected as much from Potter and Black, but I thought you at least had enough maturity to _try _to stop it."

"You have no clue how much I regret it," said Remus softly.

"Not as much as I do," was the blunt reply.

"Listen, Lily. I know that I should have done more, or done something for that matter. I'm not exactly sure how to make up for it, but will you let me try?" he asked tentatively.

Lily searched his eyes, looking for anything that hinted at a Marauders' scheme, but she found none. "You do realize that the last person I gave a second chance to turned around and called me a Mudblood in front of the entire school."

"I promise that I won't mess it up."

Lily nodded mutely and stared ahead, casting her mind around for something to fill the awkward silence before saying, "No more Kingsley to keep us entertained during the meetings. It's not going to be the same without him. He was the only one who could keep the Slytherins in line."

Remus shrugged. "Amelia and Eric know what they're doing, and Amelia is used to the Slytherins insults. Her friend was hurt by Death Eaters, and the Slytherins love to poke and prod- what are you doing here, Snape?" Remus stopped suddenly at the pale, greasy-haired boy standing in front of them.

Snape glared at Remus. "I was hoping to talk to Lily, Lupin."

"What do you want, Severus," Lily said. Her voice was polite, but Snape flinched at her coolness.

"Please," he pleaded her.

Remus stiffened, and Lily glanced at him. "It's okay. I'll only be a couple of minutes."

"You sure, Lily?" Remus asked with his eyes carefully guarded.

Lily smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine."

Remus left, but not before giving her a comforting squeeze on her arm.

Lily turned back to Snape. "What do you want?"

"Listen, Lily, I never meant to call you that word," said Snape.

"Really, Severus," asked Lily. She saw his trick almost right away. "You're not going to say the word now, when you're asking me for forgiveness, but you have no problem saying it any other time of the week."

"I'm sorry! Please, could we just-"

"There is no we," said Lily. "There is you, and then there is me. I know that you didn't mean to call me that, Severus, but it is more than just the OWL incident. I can't continue to be your friend if you keep doing what you do what you do."

"But you are my friend. Don't friends support each other no matter what?"

Lily smiled softly. "Only if they trust each other, Sev."

"Lily, please-"

"No. I've told you before. You've already chosen your path, and it is one I can't follow. I'll only ever forgive you for that if you truly care about the right things, not who the next Muggle to torture is. Good-bye, Severus."

Lily left without another word.

* * *

><p>"Lily! Just in time. James and Sirius are playing Exploding Snap, and it's possibly the funniest game ever when they play each other." Mary waved Lily over to their compartment.<p>

Lily entered to find the weirdest game of Exploding Snap she had ever seen. Both James and Sirius had been keeping score on the board, but the somebody had scribbled over half the tallies, and were forming messages.

_Cheater- doesn't count. _

_Yes, it does! _The person who had written that had circles the point several times, but the other person just crossed it out.

_No, it doesn't. Prongs is a cheater. _

James had then doodled all over Sirius's points in retaliation and wrote, _Sucks at Exploding Snap. Doesn't deserve to win games._

"NO! NOT FAIR, PRONGS!" Sirius tackled James who pushed Sirius away and quickly scrawled -100 under his name.

"Cheater! I'm right! Prongs cheats!" he yelled, rubbing his sleeve hard over the number, but James just kept adding zeroes on faster than Sirius could erase them.

"Do not! You're just too proud to say that I'm better at Exploding Snap!"

"DO NOT!" Sirius grabbed the marker that Lily recognized was from Mary's art things. He added a vertical slash over the negative sign, making it positive.

"No, Padfoot!" James yelled. He shoved a card in Sirius's face, and it exploded, covering Sirius's face and hair in black ash and giving James enough time to erase the positive and make it negative.

"Cheater! The hair is just low, Prongs." Sirius grabbed James and together, they collapsed on the ground and continued to wrestle.

Lily started to laugh uncontrollably at the two boys. Alice was already on the floor with tears in her eyes while Mary was clutching Marlene for support.

"Moony, give Prongs detention. He's not playing fair!" Sirius yelled at Remus who just threw his head back and laughed.

"Detention? I thought you wanted to break my record. That proves you can't beat me!" James yelled triumphantly.

"Do not! Hey, no magic, Prongs!" said Sirius as James pulled out his wand and starting charming the window.

Sirius had his own wand out now. He flicked it at James who yelped as his clothes spelled, _Padfoot is the greatest Exploding Snap player in the world, but Prongs can't admit._

James waved his own wand, and the writing disappeared.

"Okay, you two," Remus said, still smiling, "Stop before it turns into a full-fledged duel."

"Moooony, you stopped out fun," Sirius complained as Lily flicked her wand and the writing on the window disappeared.

"You four," Marlene pointed at each of the Marauders. "Out. We have to change."

Sirius wiggled his eyebrows. "Sure you want me to leave then, McKinnon?"

Marlene rolled her eyes. "No thanks, Black. You're welcome to spy on the Slytherins though."

**It's been a couple days since I've updated. Blame the surgery and painkillers.**

**I do realize that the the past couple of chapters have been a little blah, but the original version wouldn't work and needed changes, but I've been suffering from a terrible bout of writer's block. I thank you all for staying with the story, and you'll probably be able to see when I'm "cured" of writer's block. I am so sorry for this, but rest assured I am trying my hardest.**

**I wanted Lily to come across as somebody who has just taken to ignore all parties majorly involved in the OWLs incident because she wants to forget and move on, and I would love some feedback on that.**

**As always, I am begging you readers to review.**

**Thanks to lynnnnyl, Tanja88, twilightstargazer, ClamatiWP, ItDidntMeanForever, Sarahrules336, and PrincessDripDrop. Love you so much :D**

**Your out of it Muggle,**

**AlwaysRememberHolly 3.6.12**


	47. Girl Help

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"Moooony, you stopped out fun," Sirius complained as Lily flicked her wand and the writing on the window disappeared._

_"You four," Marlene pointed at each of the Marauders. "Out. We have to change."_

_Sirius wiggled his eyebrows. "Sure you want me to leave then, McKinnon?"_

_Marlene rolled her eyes. "No thanks, Black. You're welcome to spy on the Slytherins though."_

**Girl Help**

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore beamed at all of them. "I look forward to seeing your little minds filled throughout the school year.

"A few things first. Mr. Filch has asked to remind you for the twelfth time, I believe, not to use magic in the corridors and to refrain from using any banned items. The full list can be viewed on his office door."

Alice leaned close to Lily and whispered, "I wonder if anybody ever reads that list."

Lily giggled and shook her head, saying, "Probably not,"

Dumbledore continued, "Also, first years should know that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds, though I'm sure several older students need to learn that as well."

Dumbledore's eyes flickered to the Marauders. Lily noticed that James looked mockingly offended while Sirius put his hands over his mouth in fake surprise. Sirius leaned closer to James and said, loud enough for the Great Hall to hear, "Who would do such a thing, Prongs?"

Dumbledore smiled while some students laughed at Sirius's comment.

"I regret to inform you that there have been darker events during this past summer."

Lily noticed that many people perked up at these words, some scared and others unbelieving. Lily caught sight of a new staff member up at the staff table. At least, Lily assumed he was new, as she had never seen him before. His small, beady eyes were reproachful as he stared at Dumbledore, his posture rigid and uncomfortable. The new teacher's eyes flickered to the other staff members, as if he was trying to read their expressions, and his hand inched towards his wand like he wanted to stop Dumbledore's speech, but Lily doubted anybody else saw this.

"News has been leaking to people during the summer about the Death Eaters gaining momentum, intent on spreading discord among us. I urge you not to let them succeed. We will not be able to win unless we trust each other." Dumbledore paused as students started whispering to each other, but Lily's eyes were on the new teacher. He had done nothing so far, but Lily could tell he was itching to say something.

"On a more happy note, I am delighted to announce a new addition to the staff, Professor Campbell. He will be filling in for Defense Against the Dark Arts. I assure you, the Ministry believes his to be an excellent teacher."

Lily heard the double meaning behind Dumbledore's words, but she wasn't sure if anybody else did. Dumbledore had never hired somebody based on what the Ministry thought. He did his own thing, and usually the Ministry wasn't stupid enough to interfere, but Lily knew they had crossed a line as she watched anger flash across Professor McGonagall's face, though Dumbledore continued to smile.

Professor Campbell nodded and stood up, smiling, but the smile never reached his eyes. Lily shivered as she thought back to the book Campbell has assigned.

Mary and Marlene loudly clapped along with everybody else, but Alice hesitated at the look on Lily's face. She gave her a questioning glance, and Lily mouthed, _I'll tell you later_.

Lily glanced back at the Marauders. Peter was cheering loudly with the rest of the students, but none of the other Gryffindor were doing as much. Remus half-heartedly clapped, but Sirius looked distinctively uncomfortable while James narrowed his eyes at Campbell.

Lily caught his eye, silently asking him if he saw Campbell during Dumbledore's speech. He nodded, biting his lip. She saw only three other people not clapping, Dorcas, her new boyfriend, Neil Parkers, and Dawn Vasquez, the seventh year beauty of Ravenclaw and prefect.

Noise filled the Great Hall as students all around her got up and left their tables. Lily ignored her prefect orders to patrol the corridors until all students were in the common rooms. Instead, she grabbed Alice's arm and pulled her quickly through throng of students milling about. Lily reached a door to an empty classroom and shoved Alice through it before any other students could see them disobey the rules.

Alice closed the door and turned back to Lily. "What is going on, Lily? You're acting like the new teacher is supposed to be Voldemort himself."

Lily bit her lip nervously. "Were you watching the new teacher during Dumbledore's speech?"

"No, I was listening to Dumbledore, like everybody else. Why?"

"It's just…" Lily hesitated. "I don't think Dumbledore had a choice in appointing him."

Alice was confused. "The Ministry never made Dumbledore do anything against his will, and they aren't idiotic enough to try."

"Listen, Alice. You know as well as I that the Ministry is refusing to admit that Voldemort is as strong as he is, right?"

Alice nodded slowly and said, "Yes, but what does this have to do with Campbell? There are many people in the Ministry as well who believe that Gus Williams _didn't _fall off a cliff while hiking. Aren't you assuming things?"

"Oh, _come on_, Alice! Campbell looked like he wanted to _murder _Dumbledore for telling us about the Death Eaters. If the Minister is covering up the Death Eater's activities, do you really think he would assign somebody who supported Dumbledore to be his spy?"

Alice bit her lip before shrugging. "I suppose. It's not like I don't believe you, but I'll wait until his class tojudge."

* * *

><p>"Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs first," said Marlene. "I've also got Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Herbology, and Potions this year. What're you three taking?" She peeked at Mary's schedule, who was sitting next to her. "Pfft, Divination. That's about as useful in the world as flobberworms are at Quidditch."<p>

"Yes," Mary frowned at Marlene, looking slightly hurt. "But I'm also taking Charms. Don't tell me that you think Charms is useless."

Alice glanced at Mary's schedule. "I thought you needed more subjects than that in order to get into the Department of Mysteries."

Mary's face fell. "I didn't get the required Ancient Runes OWL to continue to NEWTs. So I talked to McGonagall, and she said I could work as with something in Herbology, since that was my Outstanding."

Lily patted her back. "Oh well, the good thing about the Department of Mysteries is that you never know what you're missing."

Mary smiled at that. "What are you taking?"

"Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, DADA, and Herbology…Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Bloody hell, Lily. Are you planning on eating or sleeping at all this year? They told us it isn't advisable to take more than five coursed unless your job needs it." Alice said.  
>Lily stared at Alice. "Alice, it will continue to get harder for me to get a job as Voldemort and the Death Eaters' movement gains momentum. I need the best possible resume I can get."<p>

"Oh, Lily," Marlene moaned. She held her arm and leaned close. "You don't honestly believe those prejudice idiots. You're one hundred times better than them."

"Of course I'm not, Marlene, but I'm just looking at the facts. It's getting more and more difficult for people like me to find jobs. The _Prophet_ may not have reported on it yet, but with the Death Eaters and all, people probably won't be as willing to hire me as they once were."

Alice and Marlene just stared blankly at her. Lily knew they were trying to find something wrong in her prediction, but Lily's logic was sound; people would not want to become targets if they could help it.

"So the Seer speaks…oooohhh," Mary said in a mockingly mystical voice. She shrugged when Marlene shifted her vacant eyes to Mary. "I'm just trying to get rid of all this goddamn tension."

Alice glanced at the entrance. She suddenly smiled knowingly at Lily and said, "Marauder alert."

"Please, Alice," said Lily, slightly annoyed at the way Alice assumed that she and James would get married just because she had stopped yelling at them. "I thought you didn't like either Potter or Black after what happened-"

She stopped suddenly, not intending to bring up the OWL incident.

Alice, sensing her meaning, lowered her voice. "But James and Sirius are changing, though I'll admit: Sirius still seems to be stuck in his fifteen-year-old self more than James. They are different Lily. I can see that they aren't the same people, particularly James."

Mary whistled. "That's deep, Alice. It's usually Marlene or Lily who say that stuff. Nicely done,"

Sirius plopped down next to Marlene, giving her the classic Marauder Grin. He leaned closer to the dark-haired girl.

Marlene just rolled her eyes. She folded up one of her letters and gave Sirius a sweet smile. "Can I help you, Black?"

"Well…" Sirius pretended to be deep in thought. "There is a broom closet up on the fourth floor. I was wondering if-"

"Sorry, Black. I already promised Fairfield I would meet him in an empty classroom. Thanks for the offer, but I'm not interested." Marlene opened her copy of the _Prophet_, effectively hiding her face from Sirius's view.

The other three girls giggled. Lily already knew the little game Marlene was playing, and it would be funny to watch Sirius's reaction.

Sirius glanced around nervously. "You, er, you're still seeing him, are you?"

"No," was the short reply. Marlene was definitely playing hard to get.

"But then why won't you just join me? You know you want to…"

"Because,"

"Because you're shagging Fairfield, got it," said Sirius sulkily. Lily wondered if he had ever been flat-out denied before.

"No, I'm not."

Sirius spluttered. "What are you saying?"

Marlene, giving a dramatic sigh, put down her paper. She looked at Sirius the way one would look at a toddler. "I'm just trying to find a nice way to refuse you, dear Sirius. See you in Transfiguration." Marlene smiled brightly at Sirius and took off, pausing only to grab her bag and give Lily a small grin, flicking her eyes further down the table towards a group of seventh years.

"Wait, Marlene!" Sirius called as he ran after her. All of the rest of them laughed.

"I guess I should probably go get him before he does something stupid," James said. He ruffled his hair and gave Lily a brilliant smile before taking off after his friend. Lily felt a flash of annoyance at James's flirting.

Lily noticed that Marlene purposefully brushed against one of the boys. Lily recognized him as Frank Longbottom, the boy Alice had had a crush on ever since he asked her to dance during the Christmas party in fourth year.

Frank glance over at the girls. Lily noticed his gaze linger longer on Alice who just blushed a deep red and looked away, muttering, "Damn Marley, she _would_ make Frank look over here."

Lily glanced between the two people. Mary raised an eyebrow at Lily who got the message immediately, the silent plan passing between the two fluidly.

"Alice, come on!" Lily got up. She tugged at Alice's elbow. "I got something I need to show you."

"Wha…" Alice, thoroughly bewildered at Lily's sudden change of thought, obeyed her nonetheless.

Lily tugged Alice along while Mary walked towards the seventh year boys.

"Lily, where are we going?"

"I need to finish up the homework McGonagall assigned over the summer."

Alice huffed, "Fine, I'll help you the bloody homework."

Lily smiled brightly as she saw Mary tugging Frank towards them. It was about time for Alice to admit her crush. "Thanks, Al!" Lily pulled Alice into the first empty classroom, whispering the charm when Alice wasn't looking.

"I still don't know why you need my help. We got the same score- AH!"

Alice yelled in fright as Lily's charm took effect. She had transfigured a box full of pencils into a couple of crickets, but she wasn't expecting Alice's reaction, even if there were only ten.

Lily had never seen Alice faced with a whole bunch of crickets before. All Alice had ever told her was she wasn't fond of them, but as Lily watched Alice stumble backwards, fumbling towards the door, her face pale as the critters hopped closer towards her, she wondered just how bad her fear of crickets was.

"Alice?" Frank was at the door when Alice had opened it, successfully catching her as she tripped over her shoelaces. "What happened?"

"Frank!" Alice yelped as she realized Frank was holding her close. "Oh my Merlin, I'm so sorry. It's just, the bugs…"

Lily took her cue and scampered away with Mary close by her side. She high-fived Mary, and Marlene came running up to them, apparently free of Sirius.

"What did you do?" she asked eagerly.

Lily just grinned widely. "Let's just wait and see if it works. We have Transfiguration."

* * *

><p>"You are NEWT students now, and I expect each and every one of you to work your hardest. We will be attempting magic far more difficult than you were doing last year, including Conjuring and human transformations. I cannot impress upon you the seriousness of this level class."<p>

The door opened and McGonagall looked up.

"So glad you could join us today, Ms. Prewett," said McGonagall before turning back to the group at large.

Alice took a seat next to Lily. She looked like Christmas had come early.

_What happened?_ Lily quickly scrawled on a scrap piece of parchment.

Alice jumped like she had not noticed she was sitting next to Lily. It was official: Alice was stuck in La La Land, and Lily had a very shrewd idea who she was with.

_Frank asked me to Hogsmeade._

_Told you that he like you._

Alice glared at Lily, though there was no malice behind it.

_Yes, thanks for scaring me senseless with those monsters._

_Monsters? They were only crickets, and I didn't know you were that scared of them._

_It was still mean._

_Frank __did __ask you to Hogsmeade. It seems you can at least take __something __good from this experience._

Alice suddenly was suspicious. _Did you and Mary plan this?_

_Marlene helped. And we didn't really plan. Marlene gave us an opportunity. It was more spring-of-the-moment if you know what I mean._

_I thought you wanted Frank to ask you to Hogsmeade._

_You didn't have to surround me with those creepy, gigantic, monstrous beasts that nearly gave me a heart attack. The only things worse are Nundus and Basilisks._

Lily rolled her eyes. _Bit dramatic, don't you think? Crickets are probably classified as a quarter of an X._

_Not those things!_

_Whatever. McGonagall's looking at you._

Alice quickly snatched the parchment before McGonagall got too close. She stuffed it into her bag just as McGonagall was walking in their row of seats.

Mary and Marlene, who were sitting diagonal to Lily and Alice, stared at Lily, asking the question. Lily gave them a thumbs up, and they both jumped and made clapping motions at Alice while McGonagall had turned her back. Alice just blushed and continued to take notes.

**In case any of you were confused with the X thing, all magical creatures in the Harry Potter universe are classified into X, XX, XXX, XXXX, and XXXXX. X is the least dangerous like flobberworms while XXXXX is the most dangerous like basilisks and acromantulas and "anything Hagrid likes". **

**And Alice and Frank are together. I didn't spend that much time on that part of the storyline because I wanted it as a foil for Lily's and James's relationship, and it will come up later. Shhh :P Anyway, just a little fun chapter :)**

**Review and let me know what you think :)**

**Thanks for the reviews: IllusiveButterfly, americanathogwarts, BethMalfoy4922, Sarahrules336, ClamatiWP, and lynnnnyl.**

**Thanks for bearing with me during the writer's block!**

**Your Xed out Muggle,**

**Worldnerd121drendlroW**

***StopTheBullying 3.6.12***


	48. An Unexpected Ally

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

You didn't have to surround me with those creepy, gigantic, monstrous beasts that nearly gave me a heart attack. The only things worse are Nundus and Basilisks.

_Lily rolled her eyes. _Bit dramatic, don't you think? Crickets are probably classified as a quarter of an X.

Not those things!

Whatever. McGonagall's looking at you.

_Alice quickly snatched the parchment before McGonagall got too close. She stuffed it into her bag just as McGonagall was walking in their row of seats._

_Mary and Marlene, who were sitting diagonal to Lily and Alice, stared at Lily, asking the question. Lily gave them a thumbs up, and they both jumped and made clapping motions at Alice while McGonagall had turned her back. Alice just blushed and continued to take notes._

**An Unexpected Ally **

"Double DADA this morning. We got a break after that," said Alice, checking over her schedule while they quickly ate breakfast. She glanced nervously at Lily, who was picking at her shepherd's pie, not even bothering to eat it.

"Guess we'll find out who's right," said Lily.

Mary paid no attention to the two girls as she was too immersed in her steak, but Marlene frowned slightly. "What are you two talking about?"

"Lily is under the impression that the Ministry and Dumbledore have been at odds for the past summer, and the Ministry assigned Campbell here, making sure that Dumbledore couldn't interfere with the applicants chosen."

"Look, Lily, as much as I love you, sweetheart, I think that you're jumping to conclusions. Somebody obviously thought he was the best for the job," said Marlene.

"But they don't want Dumbledore to appoint somebody who is likely to support fighting Voldemort outright!"

Mary snorted. "Dumbledore can do anything he wants."

"That's what I said," replied Alice, still looking at Lily. "Besides, how do you even know the Ministry and Dumbledore are arguing. I'm sure the _Prophet_ would have-"

"I'm sure the _Prophet _isn't reporting on a lot of things. Gus Williams, for instance."

"Even still! We would have heard _something_ if the Ministry didn't like what Dumbledore was doing. They would try to discredit him or something, wouldn't they?" Alice asked.

Lily slammed down her fork and glared at all of them. "I'm telling you! Campbell's bad news for Dumbledore and Hogwarts. There's something going on, and I intend to find out what it is." She stormed off.

* * *

><p>Lily curled up two corridors away from the DADA classroom. She didn't want to get closer to Campbell, but she had no wish to go back to her friends, not when they were refusing to see the truth.<p>

Footsteps echoed around the corridor, drawing closer.

"Look Alice, I know you-"

Lily stopped. It was not Alice walking towards her, but James.

"Easy, Evans," James's held up his hands in surrender. "I come in peace."

"What do you want, Potter?" Lily asked. James looked startled by her tired voice, but relieved that she wasn't angry at him. Lily could hardly blame him. He usually came off worse in their fights.

He shrugged. "Just walking around. We don't have class for another ten minutes. Do you mind?"

Lily shot him a suspicious glare. Normally this was when she would refuse to sit within five miles of him, but right now she was too busy pondering what Alice had said, a besides, James didn't look like he was about to turn her hair green again. "If you don't care about sitting on the floor," replied Lily rather reluctantly, waving James forward to sit. He did, but not as close as he would have last year, which Lily appreciated. She wasn't in the mood for him to encroach on her personal space this early in the morning with the disagreement between Alice and her.

"Alice doesn't believe you about Campbell?"

Lily shook her head. "It's not that, but they are having a hard time believing everything, like how Dumbledore and the Ministry must be arguing. Alice thinks that if that was true then the _Prophet _would have been trying to discredit him," she said tightly, unsure of how to talk to James since normally now would be when they started a duel, but he was calmer than Lily had ever thought possible.

"They are arguing," said James bluntly, and Lily stared at him, momentarily forgetting her anger.

"Are you sure?"

"Merlin, Evans, I just told you that you guessed right and now you're not sure," James said with a small grin.

Lily shook her head slowly. "It's not that. It's just- how- how are you so sure?"

"My dad's an Auror. He's been telling me that Dumbledore and the Minister have been a bit upset at each other. From what I hear, Dumbledore refuses to enforce any of the laws Mulciber and Malfoy are proposing," explained James.

Lily looked down at her hands. "They really are serious about those laws, are they?" She had hoped that maybe it was just people making things up, but now James confirming it.

"It all depends on what the Wizengamot decides." James made a face. "And if any of those Voldemort fanatics have enough money to buy them."

Lily bit her lip, twisting her fingers together and then unwinding them again. "How bad did your father say it would get?"

Lily heard James shift closer to her, but he looked uncomfortable. Lily guessed that he trying to figure out what to tell her, but he finally decided on the truth. "Pretty bad. Dad reckons that once it gets started, it will become a firestorm."

Lily nodded. "Dumbledore doesn't like what the Ministry is trying to do, but they're trying to keep him quiet," she assumed aloud.

"He's probably here to try to-" but he stopped suddenly.

She felt James stiffen by her side, and she looked up into the frowning face of Professor Campbell himself. Lily glanced at James fearfully. He caught her eye, and she knew they were thinking the same thing: how much had Campbell overheard?

"You two," barked Campbell unkindly, "What are your names? Never mind that- my office. Now!" He pointed towards the door. Lily supposed he could have passed for a strict teacher if anybody passed them, but something about him was far different than any of her other teachers.

James stood up like this happened every day while Lily got to her feet shakily; she wasn't the one to get detention three times a day for plastering frog spawn to the windows.

Campbell marched them to his office quickly, and Lily noticed that several portraits were glaring at Campbell. The weirdest one was a little witch who should have been hissing at James since the Marauders had charmed duct tape to cover her mouth in fourth year, but the witch spat at Campbell, "Going to try to remove me again, are we?"

Lily entered the room, nervous while James just looked bored.

"Straight to business," said Campbell, seating himself in a high-backed chair behind an elegant desk. He pointed to two hard chairs facing him, and Lily grudgingly complied, liking Campbell less and less.

"Names?" asked Campbell, pulling out a sheet of parchment.

"Lily and James," said Lily, glad that she kept the uneasiness out of her voice.

"I want full names," smirked Campbell.

Lily felt her temper flare, but she smiled back at Campbell sweetly. "Well, I can only come up with so many at a time. George Benedict Mason, Maddie Something Smith, Yvonne-"

"I meant your names!" snarled Campbell while James winked at Lily, seemingly amused by her tactics.

"Oh! You should have asked," said Lily sarcastically.

"This is no time to be cute with me, Missy."

"Lily Evans and James Potter," said Lily.

She saw Campbell stare at James in surprise. "Very well then, Mr. Potter. You may go. I need to have a few words with Evans." Campbell said Lily's last name like it was an insult.

"I thought the offense was the same, Professor. I'm sure you can hand it out to both of us," said James, sensing Lily's discomfort at being left alone with Campbell. Lily mouthed a quick 'thank you' at him, and she turned back to Campbell.

"I can assure you that there is no punishment for either of you. I only wish to speak with Evans. You are dismissed, Mr. Potter."

James had no choice but to leave. He touched Lily briefly on the arm in a comforting way, but that went unnoticed by Campbell. He turned back to Lily as soon as James left.

"Who are your parents?" asked Campbell.

"Richard and Rose Evans," said Lily, sitting up straighter. She wondered what Campbell was getting at. It would be no problem just to look up her parents' information.

"Muggles, if I'm correct," said Campbell, a smirk growing more pronounced on his face.

Lily glared at him defiantly. "What's it to you?" she demanded, unwilling to take any snide remarks about her Muggle parents. Lily did not care what kind of Ministry employee Campbell was.

"I'm just curious as to how you managed to get an Outstanding on my subject since you have Muggle blood in you," leered Campbell. He was obviously trying to get Lily riled up enough to give her a detention.

"No doubt because I'm much more talented than you or any of the morons you work for! It has nothing to do with my parents. My mother is ten times the person you are!" spat Lily.

Campbell looked like he had been slapped across the face, but he regained his composure quickly. "I always knew you Muggle-borns would be trouble. You and the other Muggle-borns will be seated appropriately. Dismissed," said Campbell.

Lily jumped up from the creaky seat and made towards the door, but Campbell wasn't done with his speech.

"One moment, Evans,"

Lily slowly turned towards Campbell, trying her best to keep all emotions from her expression.

"I am reporting back to the Minister of Magic himself about the Muggle-borns and what to do about them. Since you seem to be one of the top students, I'm going to be basing much of my ideas on what I see of you and your doings around pure-bloods and half-bloods," said Campbell, smiling evilly at Lily who felt like she had had the wind knocked out of her. "So far, my impression has not been a good one. There is a seating chart already in the classroom. Take care not to lose your Muggleness around magic."

He swept past her to begin the class.

* * *

><p>"What did Campbell want?" asked Sirius as the two boys watched Campbell tap his wand for attention. The chattering gradually disappeared, but James's focus was on Lily.<p>

She came out of Campbell's office slightly after him. She silently made her way to the table in the back row she shared with Beth Quagmire, a Ravenclaw who James knew to speak with Lily on occasion.

Lily didn't acknowledge Alice as she tried to catch her eye. She just stared forward at Campbell. Lily would have been relaxed if she hadn't been clutching her wand so hard that her knuckles turned white. James knew something was wrong. He had usually seen her annoyed or frustrated. The only time she had been truly furious was after the OWL incident when she had slapped him. Her expression was not so different, but James saw a hint of fear, which confused him; he had never known Lily to show fear.

"Good afternoon, class," announced Campbell to the students cheerfully. Lily pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes. James wondered what on earth had Lily so anxious. He noticed Alice trying to get Lily to notice her.

"My name is Professor Frederick Campbell. It is my understanding that you have covered the typical OWL level defense, including jinxes and counter-jinxes, Dark creatures, and the theory behind dealing with Dark magic. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir," was heard, scattered across the room. Lily kept her mouth firmly closed, glaring at Campbell.

"This year, then, I will be covering Dark creatures and magic that the Ministry thought too advanced for OWL level, including Dementors, Lethifolds, Unforgivable Curses…"

James glanced back at Lily, who was doing a poor job of hiding her dislike for Campbell. James saw a blank piece of parchment, and he cast a quick charm on it.

_What happened?_

Lily jumped at the invisible handwriting on her parchment, but she quickly began writing.

_It's a long story._

_You weren't in there for very long._

_It's still a long story. Let's just say that I am desperately fighting the urge to curse his damn face even if her deserves it._

James stared at Lily. She never talked that way about a teacher before, but here she was, hating Campbell more than she had ever disliked James.

_What did he say?_

_Later. I need to talk to Alice, Marlene, and Mary. _

Lily stared straight ahead, giving no clue as to her conversation with James. He had to admire her talent for deflecting suspicion. With that poker face, only a Legilimens would be able to tell she was not listening.

"We will start today by practicing nonverbal spells. I would like you to break up into pairs which I have already chosen."

There was a chorus of groans heard throughout the room at this.

"Prewett with McKinnon, Potter with Lockhart, Black with Lupin, Cargrah with Meadows, Macdonald with Umbridge, Quagmire with Lestrange, Evans with Mulciber, Snape with Gonzalez…" Campbell continued to call out with groans and cheers from different students.

Lockhart came over to James as Campbell finished naming the pairs. He leaned against a desk and flashed a blinding white smile at Mary Macdonald, who just rolled her eyes, but Sara Gonzalez giggled as he switched his grin to her. She blushed and went to Snape.

"Anything good happen during your summer, James," asked Lockhart as if they were old pals catching up. Lockhart didn't wait for a reply before proceeding to tell James about his own summer. "The Minister just kept trying to get me to have tea with him, but I, being me, was too busy trying to catch a troublesome Death Eater who had been a spot of worry around Cokeworth. I caught him of course. Minister himself gave me his deepest gratitude…"

James groaned as Lockhart plowed on and on about his summer. James highly doubted that he had managed to protect a family from Dementors. Sirius smirked at him, but James just scrunched up his face and stuck out his tongue like a little kid.

"Practice, Mr. Lockhart! You're supposed to be practicing!" Campbell called across the room.

Lockhart laughed good-naturedly and clapped James on the back hard. "I'll go easy on you. Don't want you to miss your second day back."

James liked Lockhart less and less as they readied themselves for a completely silent duel.

Lockhart pressed his lips together and waved his wand at James, but nothing happened.

"Sorry, I don't know why it's not working. I was doing excellent during my break…" Lockhart said. James was paying close attention to Lily, though. She was partnered with Mulciber, and she was obviously at war with herself whether to cheat and knock some sense into Mulciber or if she should just obey the rules and try to hex Mulciber nonverbally; James personally would have used the time to knock Mulciber out for at least five hours.

Mulciber whispered a curse at Lily. The purple jet of light sailed towards her, and she only managed to erect an extremely weak and silent shield, which was clearly not strong enough to stop Mulciber's curse. It hit her in her right shoulder, and she flew through the air. James gasped as she knocked against the concrete wall and fell to the ground.

Everyone was watching now, the Slytherins eager while the other three Houses were nervous. Mary had detached herself from the scuffle with Umbridge to gaze at Lily with concern.

Mulciber advanced on Lily, twirling his wand in his hand and taking his time. James felt hate rear in him at the sight of the two people, one crumpled on the ground, dueling, no longer caring about using harmless sparks. He directed his wand at Mulciber.

Just as Alice, who was watching the duel play out from her side of the room, was about to intervene on Lily's behalf, Lily raised her head and glowered furiously at Mulciber. She shot a Stunner at Mulciber without uttering a single word.

"_Protego!_' Mulciber shouted in an effort to keep Lily at bay, but Lily was on her feet now, hammering Mulciber with one hex after the other, though her lips pressed together firmly.

"Stop! STOP!" Campbell suddenly yelled. Lily and Mulciber jumped at the sound of his voice. They had evidently forgotten that they were in a classroom. Lily hastily pushed her hair back out of her face. "That is enough. This is a classroom, not some hole for you to send every curse possible at your enemies! All of you had better shape up before next lesson, especially you, Evans. Class dismissed," Campbell threw his hands up in the air.

Lily grabbed her bag quickly and practically ran out the door, her robes whipping around the corner and then vanishing. James saw Alice hurry to catch her.

* * *

><p>"I just don't know what you think is bad about Campbell, Lily, but he seemed okay. Bit strict, but otherwise okay," said Alice as they headed for the Great Hall.<p>

"You didn't hear what he said to me before class started, Alice. It's like he's purposefully making it seem like he's a normal while trying to get an excuse to kick every student who doesn't like the Ministry and its ideas out of this school."

"You keep telling me about what Campbell said, but what exactly did he say that's got you so riled up?" Alice raised her voice slightly in her frustration.

"He said that he was-" Lily suddenly stopped talking. Her tongue curled back up on itself, briefly erasing her ability to speak. She put her hand closer to her mouth, completely puzzled.

"Lily?" Alice asked, concerned that Lily had stopped halfway through her rant. Then she gasped. "Did he put a Tongue-Tying Curse on you?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," muttered Lily furiously.

"But what-" started a stunned Alice

"Just trust me that it is something you wouldn't like, Alice," pleaded Lily.

"Obviously! What the hell is Dumbledore playing at, giving him that position? Hey, you two," said Alice. Lily watched Marlene glide up to them, and Mary was hurrying alongside her, stuffing her things into her bag while running at the same time.

Mary grinned widely at Lily. "That was amazing ,Lily. I wish that I could have done that stuff to Toad Face."

"Do what to who?"

The Marauders mysteriously appeared beside the four girls. Sirius came up to Marlene and put his hand around her shoulders, but she slid gracefully to Alice's other side.

"Mary was mad at Umbridge," said Marlene. "And they were each other's dueling partners."

"I wouldn't say partners. More like two people who loath each other forced to practice together while both parties were unwilling to participate but still would have liked a chance to curse each other into oblivion."

"So partners," said Sirius. Mary glared at him, and he added, "Who hate each other."

"What do we have now?" Alice asked loudly. She clearly wanted to change the subject.

"Divination," said Mary in a sing-song voice. Marlene rolled her eyes, keeping her thoughts about the helpfulness of Divination to herself.

"What about you four?" asked Alice.

"Potions," answered Sirius and James at the same time. "Then Muggle Studies."

"Why are you taking Muggle Studies?" asked Lily, curious. She had never seen Sirius or James in the Muggle world, but she had always assumed they were as clueless as Alice when it came to the Muggle world.

Sirius looked offended. "To annoy my dear old Mum of course."

Lily couldn't tell if he was joking or not, knowing close to nothing about the Black family. She turned to James, but she saw a pink tinge of his cheeks.

"Prongs here took it to impress you!" said Sirius. He ruffled James's already messy hair. "We now know the definition of elktricilty and- what?"

Lily and Mary had burst out laughing while everybody else stared at them except Remus who cracked a smile.

"It's not elktricilty, Black. It's e-lec-tri-ci-ty," said Lily, pronouncing each syllable with care.

"E-elk-ti-ci-try," said Sirius. He screwed up his face in deep concentration.

Mary shook her head. "Honestly, Black. Do you even pay attention?"

**Hahaha! Evil Campbell. I decided that they needed to have an evil teacher, and it fits better into my story if it's sixth year. (Does anybody else have trouble pronouncing sixth out loud? Or is that just me?)**

**And if anybody was wondering why Lily doesn't immediately start loving James, let me ask you: would that be realistic? After all of the other things I've written in Part 1, does it _really _seem like Lily would suddenly drop that and kiss James like there is no tomorrow? This is just supposed to be a small glimpse for Lily to see what James is like because she's too preoccupied to yell at him, and James is starting to take Remus's advice. (FINALLY!)**

**So I would love it if you lovely readers could review. Any questions, just shoot me a review. (Without flames preferably)**

**As always, thanks to my reviewers: IllusiveButterfly, ItDidntMeanForever, twilightstargazer, americanathogwarts, lynnnnyl, and Sarahrules336 :D**

**Your FINALLY! updated Muggle,**

**The 12 Nerdy Worlds**

***StopTheBullying 3.6.12***


	49. A Captain's Decision

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"Prongs here took it to impress you!" said Sirius. He ruffled James's already messy hair. "We now know the definition of elktricilty and- what?"_

_Lily and Mary had burst out laughing while everybody else stared at them except Remus who cracked a smile._

_"It's not elktricilty, Black. It's e-lec-tri-ci-ty," said Lily, pronouncing each syllable with care._

_"E-elk-ti-ci-try," said Sirius. He screwed up his face in deep concentration._

_Mary shook her head. "Honestly, Sirius. Do you even pay attention?"_

**A Captain's Decision**

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_I've only finished the first week of school, but there is so much going on. I have so many things to tell you, some of which might surprise you._

_I'm taking DADA, Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Ancient Runes, Herbology, and Arithmancy, which McGonagall said was okay . All of us girls are in DADA, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, and Potions. Mary is the only one of us who has continued in Divination. She's also taking Astronomy. Marlene's still in Muggle Studies, so Mary and I are her go-to people for any questions. If you ask me, i would say that Alice would get the most benefit from it._

_DADA has another teacher, Professor Campbell. He is not exactly my favorite professor here. So far, he's just had us reviewing everything from the past five years which would be okay if he let us choose our own seats and partners, but I've been stuck with some Slytherin for the entire time. I don't like him, and neither would you. _

_Transfiguration is just getting harder and harder. It was always difficult for me, but there are exactly two people who don't seem to have a problem with it, and sadly neither of them are me._

_Charms and Potions are pretty easy for me, so I'm doing good in those classes so far. Arithmancy and Ancient Runes are also doing good._

_Terry and I are doing good. We haven't been able to see much of each other because both he and I have had so much schoolwork, and my friends have been having some problems, which he completely understands._

_I hope Petunia hasn't managed to channel her Bridezilla yet because that would suck if she already has. You would have another eight or nine months until after her wedding. Tell her I said hello._

_Lots of love,_

_Lily_

Lily sighed and looked out the arched window. It was a clear day, and she could see several figures zooming around on the Quidditch pitch. She would have bet her wand that it was James and Sirius.

"Hey," Alice moved across the empty common room to where Lily sat in her little area beneath the window that she had marked as her spot since first year.

"I thought you had tryouts."

"They aren't for another two hours." Alice squeezed herself onto the cushion. "I need some encouragement for this tryout. A girl named Arianne Smith is trying out, and she's pretty good."

"Alice, you've been on the team since second year," said Lily. "You're one of the best Seekers Gryffindor has had."

"I know, but Arianne is supposed to be really good. She's also really pretty, or at least that's what Marlene said. You know how guys are when there is a pretty girl around, and she knows about sports."

"I'm confused. That would also mean you. Arianne might know about Quidditch, but that doesn't mean that Potter would consider her just to have a second pretty face on the team. You have a lot of talent, Al," said Lily encouragingly.

"Thanks, Lils," said Alice quietly. She glanced out the window to see the black dots that were James and Sirius flying around on the Quidditch Pitch. "I should probably get ready."

* * *

><p>James strolled across the fresh grass, enjoying the rare stress-free moment; he and Sirius had both finished flying, and the tryouts didn't start for at least another hour. Since both Peter and Remus had decided to put homework before enjoyment, the times when all of the Marauders could relax and enjoy the day with the other students were uncommon.<p>

"I don't care if you support the Chudley Cannons, Wormtail, they still suck," argued Sirius. He and Peter were currently having a debate over the who was most likely to win the European Quidditch Cup, which meant they were insulting each other's favorite team.

"You're just jealous because the Cannons beat Pride of Portree," said Peter defiantly.

"Chudley Cannons are second to last in the league. They suck!"

"Do not!" squeaked Peter.

"Prongs, back me up!"

James just grinned. "None of your teams have anything on Puddlemere United. They're second by only twenty points."

"Oh, shut up, Prongs," said Sirius.

James raised his eyebrow. "What about Marlene badmouthing any team other than the Holyhead Harpies? You don't tell her to shut it, or is it just because you two spend your time snogging in broom-"

Sirius jumped up and aimed a Leg-Locker Curse at James who blocked it. His face was bright red. "What are you talking about?"

James laughed. "Who would have thought Sirius Black would be embarrassed by a girl? Does Marlene know that she's the only girl you don't want to be seen with?"

"I'm not afraid to be seen with her. _Anteoculatia_!" Sirius aimed his hex at James.

"I'm already a stag, Padfoot. Making me grow antlers isn't anything new," yelled James as he dodged the hex. "What kinds of spells do you cast on Marlene?"

"Bad joke, Prongs. You're losing your touch," said Sirius.

James scowled. He aimed a Jelly-Legs Jinx at Sirius and yelled, "I, James 'Prongs' Charlus Potter, proud Marauder and contributor to the Marauder's Map, Order of Pranksters: First Class, never lose my touch."

Sirius smirked. "Is that-"

"OI! What'd yer four think yer doin', hexin' me pumpkins?"

All four of the boys jumped as a large man emerged from a hut wearing a flowery apron and waving a pink umbrella. He vaguely recognized his as Hagrid, gamekeeper and the person who brought the first years to the castle by boat. James had seen him around, but never talked to him much.

James suddenly realized that he and Sirius had brought their fight into Hagrid's pumpkin patch.

"Sorry, Hagrid," said Sirius quickly. "We were just having a friendly duel then we were going to ask you if we stay for a cup of tea?"

Hagrid looked at Sirius curiously for a long of time, and James guessed the Hagrid was wondering whether or not this was one of their infamous pranks or if they were just being polite. At long last he huffed, "'s long 's yer don' blow up me house."

James stared at Sirius when Hagrid turned his back to head back into his house.

Sirius just shrugged and mouthed, _any better ideas_?

"Mind the pumpkins now," said Hagrid as they followed him into the hut. James was a little nervous about a person being almost as big as a giant, but, he reasoned, Remus was a werewolf and completely normal for all but one night of the month. Surely Hagrid just looked big and scary.

"Back, Fang, back!" Hagrid grabbed the collar of a enormous boarhound which had tried to jump on Sirius. Fang barked, slobber flying from his mouth, and tried to get to Sirius. James smirked at Sirius as he passed without much difficulty. Not being a dog animagus certainly had its perks.

"So, sir-" Remus started, but Hagrid waved hand the size of a trashcan lid.

"Call me Hagrid; everybody does," said Hagrid airily.

"Right, Hagrid, do you grow all the pumpkins for the Halloween feast?" Remus asked, and James knew he was trying to make a conversation. Sirius, meanwhile, was failing to avoid Fang's licks and drool. His hair was currently sticking up on one end, and his leg was drenched.

Hagrid beamed proudly. "All by me' self."

Remus nodded. "While I'm Remus, and-"

Hagrid waved him down. "Don' bother with names. You four are famous 'nough in this school ter give Dumbledore a run fer his money." Hagrid then noticed Sirius and Fang having their current battle which Sirius was loosing by a drastic amount. "Don' know why he's so inter yer. 'S normally just other dogs, but he really likes yer."

"Yes, I feel so loved," said Sirius sarcastically as he jerked his hand away from Fang's nose; James, Remus, and Peter were roaring with laughter.

The teapot whistled, and Hagrid got up to pour five cups. He also gave each of them a plate of sandwiches, but when Peter's jaw was glued shut, the other three politely declined.

"Yer look a lot like yer dad, James. He 'n I went to school together. Couple years ahead o' me, but good man," said Hagrid.

James burnt his tongue on the scalding hot tea, but nodded and gasped, "He's mentioned you before."

Hagrid nodded before turning to the other Gryffindors. "So what classes are yer takin' this year?"

"We're all in Charms, DADA, and Potions, but I'm also taking Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, Astronomy, Transfiguration, and Herbology," said Remus promptly.

"Moony doesn't need to sleep this year, so he's been taking extra classes," snorted Sirius at the long list. He was going to add something, but Fang put his paws on his knees and slobered all over his face trying to lick it yet again.

"I need to get the best grades I can if I'm going to have a chance at getting a job with my-" Remus stopped suddenly, realizing he had almost let slip his condition in front of Hagrid, but Hagrid just chuckled.

"No need to worry 'bout that in here. I know 'bout it, and let me tell yer, anybody who thinks differently don' know what they're talkin' bout."

Remus looked relieved. "Which teachers know?"

Hagrid frowned, trying to remember. "I think most 'cept Campbell. Dumbledore don' want someone like him knowing yer littl' problem."

James leaned forward. "Who exactly is Campbell?"

Hagrid looked at him. "I didn' think he would cause problems fer yer four. 'S mainly the Muggle-borns he's inten' on punishin', prejudice git."

"He's not causing trouble for us, but he talked to Lily, and she was furious about it afterward," said James.

"He placed a Tongue-Tying Curse on her, so she couldn't say what he had told her," supplied Peter.

Hagrid snorted. "Not surprised he decided ter talk to her. He's been reportin' back ter the Minister himself on the Muggle-borns. His advice will be crucial ter passin' or stopping the bills that the Wizengamot is voting on."

"So is that what he was talking to Lily about?" Remus asked.

"Probably. He was at Hogwarts himself few years back, an intolerant moron from Slytherin. Tell Lily that it don' matter what she does, Campbell's gonna say that she settin' a bad example even if she gives him flowers and grovels at his feet."

"But why would he just talk to Lily? I mean, there are other Muggle-borns, aren't there?" Remus asked.

"Knowin' Campbell, he probably threatened ter give the Minister feedback on Muggle-borns based on what she does since she's one of the most talented Muggle-borns in the school, probably one of the most talented witches in the school, pure-blood, half-blood, and Muggle-born alike."

Sirius spit out his tea at Hagrid's words. "But-but that's just..."

"Despicable," scowled James. He could not imagine what it would be like for Lily, knowing that anything she did would affect all Muggle-borns. No wonder she talked that way about a teacher. "Do you know anything else about the Ministry's movement against Muggle-borns."

Hagrid frowned slightly. "Dumbledore and I talked 'bout it fer a little bit. They've been thinking 'bout having them register. Er...they would need ter pass a test before they could take any job or examination, prove they can do magic 'n stuff. Ridiculous 'cause I know several Muggle-borns who are more talented then the whole Ministry put tergether, including Lily. 'Cept perhaps some o' the Aurors; Kingsley and Mad-Eye could give her a run fer her money. Not that the Ministry's gonna let her keep what wizard money she has. They're also tryin' to make it illegal for Muggle money to be exchanged at Gringotts."

Sirius growled a low growl, which James felt summed up his emotions. His dad had mentioned it James, but having Hagrid confirm it was just as bad.

"Look a' the time. Gotta get back up ter the castle. I heard yer had tryouts in 'bout an houre," said Hagrid, standing up and taking their empty cups.

"Yeah," said James. "We should probably go. Nice meeting you, Hagrid!"

Hagrid ushered them out the door with a final cheery wave, and they left, but not before Fang managed to lick Sirius's mouth. He had to gargle water due to the fact he had opened his mouth to say his good-bye, but Fang had licked part of his tongue.

James looked back over his shoulder to Hagrid's door, which was now closed.

"Why didn't we make friends with him sooner?" Remus complained as they made their way back up to the castle.

Sirius shrugged. "Because we were too busy pranking the Slytherins? I wish we had; Hagrid seems really cool."

* * *

><p>"Quidditch tryouts today," said Alice. They were currently sitting by Max Cringle and his friends from seventh year.<p>

She had been going over the names of all of the possible people for the team, mainly focusing on the Seekers. She had spent several days with two of her cousins, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, and asked them about any Ministry workers' children who were thinking about trying out.

Arianne Smith was one of the girls. She was a fifth year, and Fabian had told her that her father was telling anybody at the Ministry who would listen that his daughter was going to completely amaze the Captain, but Fabian had also told her that he was somebody known to exaggerate on many matters.

There were also several other returning people who had tried out for the past couple years, but Alice wasn't worried much about them since she had already beaten most.

"Know anybody who is thinking about trying out?" Max asked Alice.

She shrugged. "Arianne Smith is going out for Seeker." Alice had difficulty keeping the scowl of her face at the girl who dared try to take her position.

"We need new blood, but she has to be really good to beat you. How are you, Max?" said James, coming up behind them. He winked cheekily at Lily, but she just rolled her eyes and struck up a random conversation with Mary who eyes James suspiciously.

Max nodded. "Fine. Yourself?"

Sirius sat down next to Marlene, who giggled as he put an arm around her. "We meet Hagrid and had a small cup of tea."

"The gamekeeper?" asked Mary suddenly, forgetting whatever she and Lily were talking about. James glanced at her hopefully, but Lily instead started picking at her bacon.

"Do we know any other Hagrids who are ten feet tall and gigantic?" said Sirius.

"Anyways, we need one other Chasers, a Keeper, and a Beater," said James. He paused and then added, "As awesome as you three are at Quidditch, it's going to an open tryout. The only guaranteed position is one Chaser, me."

Alice smiled kindly. "James, none of us were thinking you would put the Cup in jeopardy just for the sake of having the old team back." Alice thought that was an understatement. The only thing that would make James put something before Quidditch was... Alice had a hard time coming up with anything.

"Good, but the new people would have a lot to live up to. You, Alice, and Alexandra are amazing Seekers, so if you don't make the team, then our new Seeker would have to be World Cup material."

"You're flattering me, James," said Alice, piling chicken legs onto her plate. "Both Alexandra and Riley have been signed to the Holyhead Harpies, but I'm nowhere near their level."

"Really?" asked Lily; she looked like it was only her curiosity that could overrule her stubbornness.

"Is she still dating Mark Wood?" asked Mary.

Alice gasped out loud. "They married last spring! Riley just had a baby boy a couple of days ago, and they named him Oliver. According to Alexandra, he's the cutest little baby boy ever."

All the girls giggled, but James just rolled his eyes.

"Back on topic, Alice, I trust your judgment also when it comes to deciding the new members. Max and I will be flying up with all the hopeful Chasers, and I trust you and Padfoot to keep an eye on the other hopefuls while we're in the air."

Alice winked cheerfully. "Sirius and I have got your back, James. Don't worry about it."

James smiled gratefully. "Okay, Sirius and I have to set things up for the tryouts, and I expect you and Max to be down there in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, of course," said Alice. She turned back to the girls as James and Sirius walked away.

* * *

><p>"Evans, wait up!" Lily, who had just exited the Great Hall with Marlene, Alice, and Mary, turned and saw James racing towards her from down the corridor. Sirius stood farther away with a look of apprehension on his face.<p>

"Yes, Potter?" asked Lily politely.

"Can I speak with you alone?" he asked as he halted in front of the girls.

Alice glanced at him curiously before saying, "We'll catch up with you later, Lily."

Lily nodded and faced Potter, face devoid of any emotion. "What?"

James ruffled his hair nervously, and Lily felt a small flash of annoyance at his old habit. "Well, I was wondering…" He trailed off, but Lily cut across him.

"I swear to Merlin, Potter, if you ask me out I will hex your hair off- _again_. Only this time it will be permanent," snapped Lily, and she glared at him.

"I wasn't going to ask that!" James protested, and Lily's eyes widened in surprise.

"Well then what?"

"Well…" James said slowly, "You and I seemed to get along when we were with Campbell…"

"And?" Lily asked with one eyebrow raised, uncertainty creeping up on her. All of the other times with James was practically by the book: ask to Hogsmeade, yell, curse, yell some more, but the conversation was heading towards uncharted territory, and Lily didn't like it one bit; the time with Campbell was an anomaly, something that only happened when she had been too preoccupied to much and on the rare days when the Marauder's didn't jinx every person that moved.

"Does that mean that, like, we can be friends or something?"

She paused for a second before she said, "Potter, you bullied my best friend and I for five years and only added to humiliation by asking me out again and again and again. Just because I hate Campbell does not mean that I like you. If I had to choose between Voldemort and you, then yes, I would go with you because I hate Voldemort more."

James deflated like a popped balloon. "What if it were Snape and I?" he asked.

He knew immediately that he had said something wrong when he saw Lily wince like he stabbed her through the heart.

"That, Potter," spat Lily coldly, and James flinched, "Just lost you whatever progress you think you've made. Now don't you have Quidditch to brag about? After you come up with a team that you'll forget about in all your glory, of course."

Lily spun on her heel and walked away, leaving James to walk down the Quidditch pitch, feeling much worse than before.

* * *

><p>"Okay, I want everybody to divide into groups of five and fly around the pitch twice," called James in his loudest voice. There were almost thirty people who showed up for tryouts, but James doubted half of them could fly well. Peter was also there, clutching his Comet One Twenty. James had made him come because should he ever get into detention the day of a match, heaven forbid, he and Sirius had a backup plan, which unfortunately included Peter; Remus simply refused to participate in it.<p>

It was a good idea to start tryouts like that. James had been right in assuming a lot of them couldn't stay on a broom. Several third years got in a pile-up after their first lap, and a second year had freaked out when he went up too high and crashed, resulting in his friends taking him up to Madam Pomfrey.

Both Alice and Max were in the third group, and both had managed to lap the other three people in their group. James sent them over to the bench where only four Gryffindors were sitting.

Sirius was flirting with a hot girl named Arianne Smith, and James didn't want to think about what Marlene would to Arianne if she caught them flirting. James cleared his throat, much to the amusement of several younger students.

Arianne stopped twirling a lock of white blond hair and grabbed her Silver Arrow. Her wide brown eyes were excited and nervous at the same time. James noticed Alice staring at Arianne, but he pushed that thought from his mind as he watched both Sirius and Arianne fly around the pitch. She was undoubtedly a good flier.

James watched the rest of the groups, but it didn't do much. Several girls refused to go higher than several feet, and James ordered them off the field. Two fourth year boys had collided with each other while another girl had not even paid attention to where she was going and ran into one tower.

At the end, James had a total of seventeen players left, including Alice, Arianne, Sirius, Peter, and Max.

"We'll be doing one position at a time, so I want everybody to divide into groups."

James counted five people going out for Beater positions: three boys, a girl, and Sirius. James glanced at Alice's group of Seekers. Alice was standing as far away from Arianne as possible with two uncomfortable boys between them, a seventh year and a fourth year. Arianne was glaring at Alice, but James didn't even want to know what had happened between the two girls.

He took a deep breath and faced the Keepers. If Arianne and Alice were going to be like this, it would be a long day.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry."<p>

"It's fine."

"I'm sorry."

"Really, Lily, it's fine," said Terry as he fiddled with her auburn hair, both of them leaning back against the tree while watching the distant black dots zoom around on the Quidditch pitch. "I've been busy as well, and I wasn't even able to be on the train; I had come by Floo Powder."

"So what does that make us?" asked Lily.

Terry shrugged. "Either extremely busy NEWT students or the worst people in the world who can't even find the time to say hi to their girl or boyfriend. Personally, I'm inclined to go with the first option."

Lily giggled while she weaved several dandelions together. "We should do this more often. I'll admit, I've missed you, and the letters over the summer aren't exactly the best forms of communication."

"Ditto," said Terry, leaning down to lightly kiss Lily; she returned it.

"How's Hannah?"

"She's…eager. To start Hogwarts," said Terry with a little laugh. "That means she won't stop talking about everything. I can't get through a single conversation without hearing Hogwarts at least ten times."

Lily giggled. "I was the same way. Does she want to be in Hufflepuff when she gets here."

"She'll be fine as long as she's not in Slytherin. She just wants to make friends and have a good time."

"You'll hope she's in Hufflepuff?"

"I'm going to try to lie to you, Lily. I want her to be in Hufflepuff because let's be honest, it's the best House," Terry said. Lily glanced at him, and Terry laughed. "I'm joking. Each House has its own perks and students."

"Spoken like a true Hufflepuff," said Lily smiling.

"Don't you forget it," he replied, leaning down to kiss her, and they sat laid there for at least five more minutes.

**Go on, hate me for reminding you about Terry. I wasn't writing that much about him because honestly? I could never find a good time to add him in that sounded right, but I have the perfect scenes for him in the future, so expect some drama :)**

**And the little scene with Lily and James was mean for everybody eager to get to the part where they're finally dating, I know, but I refuse to forget all those other chapters just for the sake of them getting together quickly. If I wanted that then I could have made it much easier by writing only the seventh year. To me, it's an important part of the story between Lily and James that they learn to trust each other first before they even _consider _ dating (mainly on Lily's part). Plus I look forward to the challenge of writing the transition from hating to loving in a realistic way.**

**So I would love it if you lovely readers could review :D**

**Thank you: IllusiveButterfly, Sarahrules336, ClamatiWP, twilightstargazer, and lynnnnyl :D**

**Your realistic Muggle,**

**12-Geeky-Worlds-Vs-12-Nerdy-Worlds**

***StopTheBullying 3.6.12***


	50. Teaming Up

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"You'll hope she's in Hufflepuff?"_

_"I'm going to try to lie to you, Lily. I want her to be in Hufflepuff because let's be honest, it's the best House," Terry said. Lily glanced at him, and Terry laughed. "I'm joking. Each House has its own perks and students."_

_"Spoken like a true Hufflepuff," said Lily smiling._

_"Don't you forget it," he replied, leaning down to kiss her, and they sat laid there for at least five more minutes._

**Teaming Up**

"No, Geoff might be good at dodging Bludgers, but he only scored two goals in fifteen minutes," said James as he scanned the list of players with Sirius, Max, and Alice.

Max shrugged. "I though he worked really well with us."

"What about Olive Brandgee?" asked Alice. She leaned forward at the list, fighting to contain the satisfaction. She had beat Arianne, catching the Snitch just two more times than her, ensuring a spot on the Quidditch team. Arianne had been surprisingly calm about it. James, Sirius, and Max had assumed that she didn't care, but a glint in Arianne's eye told Alice differently, and she couldn't expect the boys to listen, the blind idiots.

"She isn't that fast of a flier," said James. "Maybe we should concentrate on the Keepers and come back to the Chasers later?"

"Simon Breeland," said Sirius immediately. "He saved the most penalties and was the best at dodging Bludgers."

"All agree on Breeland?" James asked.

"Yes, but who's the other Beater?" said Max. "I thought that Nathan Gibbs worked pretty well with Sirius, and he has very good aim."

Sirius shrugged. "Brittani Ottoman had a little better aim, but Nathan had more power. He knocked almost knocked Alice off her broom."

Alice scowled at Sirius. "I was paying attention to Arianne, and he got me by surprise."

"Sirius, who do you think works better?" James asked Sirius.

Sirius grinned. "Well, Brittani certainly works better for me in a broom closet-ow!"

Alice smacked Sirius upside the head. "Douchebag, answer seriously! This is more important than your extracurricular activities."

"I always answer Siriusly," complained Sirius. "Nathan works better for me on the field. He's a lot easier to communicate with."

"So Nathan Gibbs, Simon Breeland..." mused James. "That leaves Rosie O'Connor, Katrina Moors, Santiago Gable, and Thomas Heartfelt."

"Santiago hogs the Quaffle and doesn't pass to anybody else," said Max. "We wouldn't be able to fly any formations."

"Scratch Santiago. Rosie, Katrina, or Thomas?"

"Katrina didn't score that many goals," Alice pointed out.

"But she's fast," countered James.

"And hot," said Sirius.

"That doesn't count, Sirius," Alice snapped.

"I think Rosie would be good. She's really fast and dodged every single Bludger."

"How many goals did she score?"

"Fifteen, I think. Thomas only got ten."

"Got it," said James. He pulled out a blank piece of parchment and started to write on it.

_Gryffindor Quidditch Team_

_Chasers: James Potter (6), Max Cringle (7), Rosie O'Connor (3)_

_Beaters: Sirius Black (6), Nathan Gibbs (7)_

_Keeper: Simon Breeland (7)_

_Seeker: Alice Prewett (6)_

_Reserves: Peter Pettigrew (6), Thomas Heartfelt (5), Arianne Smith (5)_

Alice didn't have that much difficulty no scowling at Arianne's name. She had kept her spot on the team, so there was nothing about Arianne that Alice didn't like anymore.

Yet.

* * *

><p>"Please, you have to listen to me."<p>

"No."

"Please!"

"I said no."

"I'm sorry!"

"But that never stopped you, did it?"

"I'M SORRY!"

Lily jumped, shocked by Snape's outburst. He had yelled the final two words loud enough for the Gray Lady, who happened to be passing, stop and stare at him like he had completely lost his mind.

"You've said that time and time again, Severus. Tell me now _why _ I should believe that you're really sorry," Lily demanded.

"Because-" Snape threw up his hands in frustration, searching for the right word. "Because you're the most important person in my life, Lily Evans," he finished, and Lily could hear his voice shake at the end.

Her response was cool and detached. "You keep saying that, Severus. Was that what you were thinking when you called me a Mudblood?"

"No," he said instantly. "I told you, Lils-"

"Don't call me Lils," she interrupted, and Snape's black eyes flashed.

"So you're just going to forget all the good times we had together? You can't tell me that after all of those things you think I feel nothing. You _know _what you are to me!"

"Just a filthy, little Mudblood."

Snape pressed his lips together and said quietly, "You don't know how sorry I am about that. If the Marauders hadn't-"

"They have nothing to do with this."

"They have _everything _to do with this. I was humiliated and angry, and if I wish so hard that I could take it back."

"You need to stop blaming your problems on other people, Severus, and start taking responsibility. _You _ called me a Mudblood, not Potter or Remus. Unless you can prove to me that Black had you under an Imperius Curse, I suggest you stop trying to come up with the same excuses because I really have no wish to hear them."

"Lily-"

"Starting now," Lily said, and she left.

* * *

><p>"She spent her first five years here thinking of you as an arrogant bully, and you never gave her any reason to think otherwise. We're going to have to work with Alice, Marlene, and Mary if you have a shot. Alice spends more time with her than anybody else, so if Alice says something, <em>do it<em>. Don't ask questions because when it comes to Lily, Alice knows what she's doing."

James blinked. "That's a bit much, Moony. Are you sure about that?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Seeing as Sirius's advice has gotten you to go backwards for the past several years-" Sirius had the decency to look guilty, "-you might just benefit from my advice, which is to listen to Alice."

"But you said you would help make a map, Prongs!" Peter cried. "If you're talking to Lily, then you won't have time."

James stared at Peter disbelievingly while Sirius scoffed. "Pete, I doubt they'll be _talking_ if it works out the way James wants it to, and when did we agree to make a map?"

"When we were making the potion for the transformations," said James. "Since we got that down, this shouldn't take us that long. It's just charming a bit of parchment."

"But what would it do?" mused Sirius out loud.

"We need to make sure that we can see people coming. That includes Invisibility Cloaks, animagi…oh! Polyjuice Potion," said Remus. He stuck up a finger for each thing. "This is going to be hard."

"Oh, lighten up, Moony," said James. He clapped Remus on the shoulder. "If we really need to, we can always trick Lily again. She was more than willing to help with the animagus potion, and Charms is her best subject as well as her favorite."

"James!" said Remus sharply. "I thought you wanted Lily to love you. You won't get very far if you keep tricking her."

"No need, Prefect Moony. I think the four of us put together can figure this out," said Sirius cheerfully.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Alice! Alice!" James yelled, squeezing his way through the throng of students. The corkscrew blond curls whipped around as Alice faced James running as fast as he could towards her. Frank held her hand, and James felt a pang of jealousy at the sight of the couple; they were just a reminder of how bad he screwed up in his first five years.<p>

"If you're here to tell me Arianne Smith has my Seeker spot, I swear to Merlin that I will deck you here and now," Alice said with a blank face, and Frank snorted.

"No, it's about Lily. Do have time to talk?" James asked, bending his head down and speaking quietly so the students attempting to eavesdrop couldn't hear a thing.

Alice raised an eyebrow skeptically but nodded anyways. She left but not before giving Frank a quick peck on the lips.

"Great," James said, and he grabbed Alice's upper arm.

"Keep your hands off my girlfriend, Potter," Frank warned jokingly, and Alice blew him one more kiss.

"Are you going to listen to somebody other than Sirius Black this time?" Alice asked.

James's eyes widened, and he said, "Is it really that obvious?"

"Yes," Alice responded bluntly. "Only Sirius would advise you to charm silverware to dance the can-can."

"Remus said that you're the person who can help me get back on Lily's good side."

"Back? Were you ever on her good side?"

James rolled his eyes as Alice stifled her giggles. "You know what I mean, Prewett."

"Yeah, yeah. Which part do you want help with?"

"To start- wait, you're actually going to help me get Lily?"

"First off: Lily doesn't let anybody _get _her. Apparently there's some sort of feminism thing going on in the Muggle world, and she hates it when you treat her like a prize. That was your first mistake." James winced, and Alice continued, "And yes, I'll help you because Terry and Lily have almost nothing in common. Marlene and Mary probably won't mind helping either. Both Marlene and I think that Terry is too boring."

James tilted his head confused. "Wait. Why is she going out with him then?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "James, you are the biggest idiot ever. No wonder you were relying on Sirius's advice for the past five years."

"Hey!"

"You know it's true. He's _nice_. Not just to her, but to everybody. You do remember when you cursed him for holding Lily's hand, right?"

James nodded mutely.

"He doesn't care, and he's not trying to get revenge. Lily likes people who show maturity and don't act like five-year-olds in the middle of a tantrum."

"I didn't-"

"Shut it, Potter. Do you or do you not want our help?"

"Yes," he said automatically.

"Good. The first step is to acknowledge that you've been an idiot for the past several years."

James started to protest, but Alice cut across him.

"Did I say it would be easy?"

**Yay! This is the 50th chapter! **

**A little short I know, but I've become completely addicted to Pottermore (Thank you, twilightstargazer, for telling me it was now open to the public.) I am a proud Gryffindor, and my wand is holly and phoenix feather, 12 1/2 inches, supple. (No, I did not make it up. Those really are my wand and my house.) Although I found something incredibly funny:**

**Me:**

**House- Gryffindor**

**Wand- Holly and phoenix feather, 12 1/2 inches, supple. (Almost exactly like Harry Potter)**

**My brother:**

**House- Slytherin**

**Wand- Hawthorn and dragon heartstring, 13 inches, unyielding. (Almost exactly like Draco Malfoy)**

**Now tell me that isn't funny. Nobody can say we're not fueding siblings now.**

**Back to the story. So what do you think of Alice agreeing to help James? I don't want her and the other girls to go too easy on him, so that's why she seemed a little mean about it. Lily is their best friend, and their not going to help James so much that he doesn't have to do anything. I hope you like it :)**

**Please let me know what you think and REVIEW! **

**As always, thank you: Covered in Bruises, ccCurlyQ33, ClamatiWP, ItDidntMeanForever, IllusiveButterfly, twilightstargazer, lynnnnyl, Sarahrules336, Michael4HPGW, and prongs4evr (I couldn't respond to your review, so I would just like to say thank you.) Love all of you guys so much :D**

**Your Gryffindor Muggle,**

**12-Nerdy-Gryffindors-In-12-Worlds**


	51. From Bad to Worse

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"Shut it, Potter. Do you or do you not want our help?"_

_"Yes," he said automatically._

_"Good. The first step is to acknowledge that you've been an idiot for the past several years."_

_James started to protest, but Alice cut across him._

_"Did I say it would be easy?"_

**From Bad to Worse **

"We have a lot of work to do, Alice, if he's going to get Lily to like him," Marlene said, crossing her arms.

"I know," said Alice.

"Let's start with how he handles Quidditch," Mary put in.

"Then we can move on to the younger kids and Slytherins."

"Don't forget the pranks."

"Not so much the pranks, more like what _kinds _of pranks."

"You're right. And most importantly how to talk to Lils."

"Hello? I'm right here," said James, waving his hand in front of Mary's face. She just scowled at James who was sitting on the plush couch in front of the fire with Sirius and Remus lounging on a couple of armchairs; Peter was sitting on the floor nervously chewing his nails again. Alice, Marlene, and Mary were standing in front of him with their arms crossed and identical expressions of scrutiny.

"Exactly. You're supposed to hear this. Like Marlene said, you have a lot of work to do," Mary said. "So now let's work on how you handle Quidditch. One: do _not _brag about how many goals you've scored."

"Or how awesome you are," Alice added.

James frowned. "It's not like I'm bad or anything. All of you have seen me play; I'm pretty amazing."

Here James caught Remus's eyes, but Remus sighed and shook his head in exasperation, and Alice slapped him.

"Ow!"

"You deserved that, you prat! If we're going to help you, then you need to at least try," Alice reprimanded.

"I am trying!" he protested.

"Lily doesn't like arrogance. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Okay, okay, I won't be arrogant. What do I do?"

James immediately regretted asking that question when he saw Alice catch Marlene's eye. The expression on her face warned James of something he wouldn't like.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, girls?"

"I don't know. Are you thinking of something with a little Transfiguration?" Mary asked.

"That's exactly what I'm thinking. James," Alice said sweetly turning back to him, and James gulped, "Maybe you, the rest of the Marauders, and I should go on a stroll." She held out her arm.

"If it's Transfiguration then I could help," James said, dreading whatever was running through Alice's mind at the moment.

"No. We should take a stroll together," Alice repeated firmly, and she narrowed her eyes in a way that left no room for compromise.

James shot Sirius one terrified look before the boys followed Alice out of the common room.

* * *

><p>"Two feet on the Unforgivable Curses; Campbell must want to torture us," Dorcas complained as both she and Lily sat in the library with the sun setting over the horizon.<p>

"Ironic. You know, seeing as we're righting about a torture curse," Lily said, thinking about how much of an understatement that was. Try unceasing, excruciating, pure agony.

Dorcas shivered. "I never want to know what the Cruciatus Curse feels like."

_No. You really don't_, Lily thought, the haunting memory of Stoughton and Bellatrix coming back to her, except this time another memory appeared in her mind next to it; Mulciber's father's Cruciatus Curse hitting Rawlings and her screams piercing the summer air.

"Didn't we already cover the Unforgivable Curses when we had Oggins?"

Dorcas bit her lip. "I think Campbell is going to show us what they look like. There's a rumor going around that he's got permission to perform the Imperius Curse on us."

"WHAT?" Lily yelled, and several students jumped in surprise and glared at her; Madam Pince hissed while she prowled the shelves dusting her sacred books. Lily lowered her voice. "What the _hell _is Dumbledore playing at?"

Campbell, getting permissions to curse. The Imperius of all curses. On her. Lily, the Muggle-born that he was already out to get. Lily under Campbell's Imperius.

She would have preferred to marry Voldemort.

"Dumbledore's got to be joking."

"It wasn't Dumbledore's idea. Campbell got the go-ahead from Minister Nobby Leach himself, and Dumbledore's probably been fighting against it ever since it was a mere thought in Campbell's mind. The Ministry passed an Educational Decree in the summer which says that the Minister trumps Dumbledore for any Hogwarts decision."

"_What_?"

"And some people high up are talking about having two Headmasters: one a teacher and one elected by the Ministry so that there's 'collaboration'."

"Collaboration my ass," Lily spat. "The Ministry's trying to take control of Hogwarts."

"But why?" Dorcas mused aloud. "There must be a reason. Is one of them working with the Death Eaters."

Lily put her head between her hands and inhaled sharply when the answer fell into her mind. "Not just someone. There's only one person who can pass so many laws in such a short space of time: the Minister of Magic."

* * *

><p>"Alice, what are we doing?" James asked as they passed portrait after portrait; several hissed at the Marauders while a couple of others ran away for fear of acquiring more horns.<p>

"We're waiting for Marlene and Mary to get here," Alice said, sitting herself on the ledge of a large window overlooking the lake.

"You know, it's kind of cool to have a part of Hogwarts named after me," said Sirius after several minutes of silence.

Alice jerked her head around. "What's named after you?"

"The Black Lake of course," said Sirius as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Alice rolled her eyes and muttered, "Of course you would say that."

"So what are we doing exactly?" James repeated.

"I told you. We're waiting- can we help you?" Alice asked as two large Slytherins loomed close to the four Gryffindors. Peter squeaked and hid behind Remus who just grimaced at the approaching Slytherins; James didn't recognize either of them, but they were probably fourth or fifth year by the looks of them.

"We were just walking. Is that illegal?" the first asked in a gruff voice.

"Or are you going to curse us here and now for intruding on your precious castle?" the second added harshly.

James glanced at Sirius and turned back to the two Slytherins. "You know what, Sirius?"

"What?" Sirius said, still eyeing the two Slytherins who were starting to grow uncomfortable.

"I think we will. _Stu-_"

"You idiot, James!" Alice yelled, grabbing his arm and effectively stepping in front of Sirius at the same time.

"What? They're Slytherins," said James still eyeing the Slytherins.

"No, we're not," said the first Slytherin, waving his wand and the disguises melted off like butter; it was Marlene and Mary.

Marlene stepped forward with a frown on her face and said, "We were just testing you," She jerked her head to the side almost in a challenging way and jabbed her finger at him, "And you just failed."

* * *

><p>"Lily, you're going to accuse Nobby Leach, the <em>Minister of Magic himself<em>, of working with the Death Eaters?"

"No, I'm going to prove it," said Lily while she ran up the stairs three at a time. "If we have a Minister who is as good as a Death Eater and a Wizengamot full of people who the pure-blood supremacists have already bought, how long do you think it'll take for Voldemort to declare himself Minister of Magic? And if that happens imagine just how bad it'll get. You'll be wishing for right now if Voldemort takes over."

"Lily, wait! How are you going to prove it? You can't just waltz into the Wizengamot. They've just passed a law that says you must have proven magical ancestry to make a case against a person with proven magical ancestry."

"What? That's-"

"Disgusting but true," Dorcas supplied, and Lily just shook her head, too furious to speak. "They won't listen to a Muggle-born, let alone a Muggle-born who's already caused trouble for some Death Eaters, or as the Ministry calls them, 'notable and respected members of the Wizarding world'."

Lily stopped in her tracks. "Who said that?"

"It's been in the paper about a couple of students causing trouble and you're one of the students, Lily. It's easier to target you because you don't have an old Wizarding family to back you up in court. Mrs. Prewett has tried to defend your actions, but Alice's family isn't powerful enough. You would need one of the _old_ Wizarding families, a family capable tracing their magical roots back to before there were even records."

"Court?" Lily asked cautiously.

Dorcas nodded. "Only if you have one of the powerful Wizarding families behind you are you allowed to present a defense, and you're a Muggle-born. They'll never listen to you about _anything_."

Lily noticed the double-meaning behind Dorcas's words. "What are you saying?"

Dorcas hesitated, twisting her hands nervously. "I think- I think they want to bring legal action against you, Lily. The Ministry needs a scapegoat if they're going to continue with the laws against Muggle-borns, and you've already got a reputation, good and bad, in Hogwarts, and it doesn't take that much to spill to the papers."

"But what are they trying to charge me with? Muggle blood?"

Dorcas swallowed. "That's the thing: they're just waiting for the perfect opportunity."

**Hahaha! Bet you didn't see that one coming! Nice little twist, don't you think?**

**So what do you think about the girls' little training camp? Lily and the Ministry? Shoot off any comments and questions you have, and I'll try my best to answer the questions as thoroughly as possible.**

**Pottermore is changing me, and I have a new excuse for everything I miss:**

**"I wasn't able to do that; I needed to finish brewing my potion."**

**Your Pottermore Muggle,**

**12-Nerds-Mixing-12-Potions-On-12-Worlds**

***StopTheBullying 3.6.12***


	52. A Walk Down Memory Lane

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_Dorcas nodded. "Only if you have one of the powerful Wizarding families behind you are you allowed to present a defense, and you're a Muggle-born. They'll never listen to you about anything."_

_Lily noticed the double-meaning behind Dorcas's words. "What are you saying?"_

_"I think- I think they want to bring legal action against you, Lily. The Ministry needs a scapegoat if they're going to continue with the laws against Muggle-borns, and you've already got a reputation, good and bad, in Hogwarts, and it doesn't take that much to spill to the papers."_

_"But what are they trying to charge me with? Muggle blood?"_

_Dorcas swallowed. "That's the thing: they're just waiting for the perfect opportunity."_

**A Walk Down Memory Lane**

"Today, class," said Campbell, clapping his hands together, rather like Rawlings right before she was about to announce something exciting, though Campbell was the complete opposite of Rawlings in Lily's opinion, "We are going to see the Unforgivable Curses put into action."

The class as a general started murmuring excitedly; Mulciber and Avery in particular looked particularly enthusiastic. Peter and Sirius glanced at each doubtfully, but neither seemed nervous about Campbell putting the curses into action. Many other students sat up a little straighter.

Lily felt nothing but dread, the memories of Bellatrix and Stoughton flooding her mind's eye. She could feel the echo of the scorching agony tingle in her limbs, and she gave an involuntary twitch.

Campbell couldn't possibly know about the night in second year, could he? Rawlings had known, but she was a friend of Stoughton's and a trusted associate of Dumbledore's. Campbell was neither; he was just a cruel Ministry lapdog.

"First: let's review the Unforgivable Curses. Can anybody tell me one of them?" Campbell asked. Several people raised their hands, and Campbell pointed, "Yes, Mr. Mulciber."

"The Imperius Curse," Mulciber said. He and Avery stared at each and burst out laughing. Rawlings would've tried to get away with a detention for being so disrespectful, but Campbell just smiled and nodded.

"That's correct."

Campbell turned around to a jar full of crickets, and withdrew one larger than the others. Lily glanced at Alice to see that she was staring at the cricket fearfully. To make matters worse, Campbell muttered, "_Engorgio_," and Alice was leaning as far back as she could in horror.

"_Imperio_," Campbell said loud and clear, pointing his wand at the cricket, but for a moment Lily could imagine Bellatrix pointing her wand at Sturgis, forcing him to chase her and try to Cruciate her himself.

The cricket leaped from the desk and landed on the hand of Gilderoy Lockhart, an irritating, stuck-up boy who couldn't even master a simple Leg-Locker Curse; Lily only felt a small amount of sympathy for him when Lockhart jumped and yelped.

The cricket then leaped and landed right in front of Alice, who at the sight of the enlarged insect, scrambled back until she hit the front of Terry's desk. Campbell floated the cricket back into his hand and looked to the class at large.

"Complete control of the mind. Another, somebody."

_Avada Kedavra_. No matter how hard Lily tried, she would never be able to get Bellatrix and the flash of green light out of her head. It was the last thing Stoughton had seen before the life was wiped from his body, and Lily was sure she would never be able to forget it either.

"Another? Preferably not a Slytherin."

Nobody raised their hand, and Campbell said, "Ms. Evans."

Lily's head snapped to attention when she heard her name come out of Campbell's mouth. "Sir?" she asked without the faintest hint at the anger she felt whenever she was in the same room as Campbell. In fact her tone was perfectly polite, if a little cool.

"Perhaps you can enlighten the class on another Unforgivable Curse," Campbell said, "You're essay went into enough detail for you to tell me another Curse."

And then there was the malicious glee on Bellatrix's face when she had tortured Lily, the twisted excitement she expressed when Sturgis had tried to stop her. Merlin, this class was turning into an undesired walk down memory lane.

"The Cruciatus Curse," Lily replied, fighting to keep her voice even. A worried crease in Alice's forehead told her she was hardly succeeding.

Campbell leered at her. He didn't know- he _couldn't_. If he knew then he had all he need to break Lily, something she had refused to do all year. No matter what he did to the poor cricket, she would not break, no, she refused to.

"That is correct, Ms. Evans. _Crucio_."

For one crazy second Lily thought he was cursing her until the cricket started twitching uncontrollably in something that was clearly pain, and she could imagine each white-hot knife piercing the cricket stabbing her with the same venom. For that one moment, Lily was the cricket: writhing and screaming from pure, unadulterated agony…

Bellatrix's insane laugh as she tortured the then-thirteen-year-old girl. It was like her bones were burning with an excruciating intensity, and she was herself was drowning in a pit of boiling acid. No, it wasn't like that- it was worse. One hundred times worse…

"…stop it! Can't you see it's bothering her? STOP IT!"

Alice's furious yell floated back to Lily, and somebody nudged her arm.

"Lily? Lily, are you okay?" Beth Quagmire, the Muggle-born from Ravenclaw who sat next to Lily, asked in a quiet, concerned voice.

Lily blinked and saw that every single person was either looking at Lily in worry or glaring at Campbell, and some Slytherins' faces contained undisguised glee. It occurred to Lily that her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

Alice was at her side in a second and grabbed Lily's arm, pulling her out of the classroom; Lily responded robotically to the pressure.

"C'mon, c'mon…" Alice whispered in her ear, hauling her from the piercing stares.

"Ms. Prewett! Ms. Evans! We are not done here!" Campbell shouted.

Lily wanted to scream at Campbell, but her voice got stuck halfway in her throat; Alice did it instead.

"Kiss my ass, Campbell!" Alice yelled.

* * *

><p>"What. The. Hell. Was. That," Sirius said, at loss for words. James watched as Marlene gathered up Lily's things, and retreated along with Mary; Campbell, still stunned at what Alice had said, made no move to stop either girl.<p>

"I haven't the faintest idea, Padfoot," James responded. He had never seen Lily like that, deathly pale and shaking violently with terror, eyes wide from something only Lily could see. The closest she had gotten to that was when the Dementors attacked them, but Lily had still managed to keep her head and finally cast a corporeal Patronus. Now she was oblivious to everybody, and James suspected that she barely knew who had dragged her from the classroom.

"I'll ask Marlene as soon as we get out of this damned class," Sirius muttered.

"We have one more curse to discuss, class," Campbell practically snarled at a poor girl from Hufflepuff. "The last Unforgivable Curse."

James noticed that Terry Abbott was glowering at Campbell, and he couldn't help but be thankful that while Lily wasn't dating James, she at least had a guy who clearly cared for her. His respect for him mounted even though his jealousy remained.

"I don't think Marlene knows anything about it. Or Mary for that matter," Remus whispered when Campbell had his back turned.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because Alice was the only person to react. It took Marlene and Mary nearly as long as us to realize what Alice was doing. Didn't you see when they left; they were just as confused as we were," Remus said, glancing at the door.

A bright flash of green light burst from the tip of Campbell's wand, and James realized that he had just killed the cricket. The dead insect skittered to Terry's desk and stopped right in front of him. Instead of swiping the dead cricket off his desk, Terry raised his head and glared at Campbell.

* * *

><p>"Lily," Alice said, placing Lily right in front of the fire and holding her face between her hands. "Talk to me, sweetie. C'mon."<p>

Lily's lips trembled slightly as her glassy eyes filled with tears. "It was Bellatrix and me all over again, Alice," she said in a quiet, shaky voice that betrayed her feelings of guilt and terror. "It- it was like s-she was cursing me a- and I was the cricket. I was the cricket, Alice, I was-" Lily was unable to continue and she curled up into the sofa, sobbing.

"Oh, Lily…" Alice said, and she sat beside her and held her until Marlene and Mary entered the common room. Alice silently shook her head, and mouthed, _keep everybody out_.

Marlene, pressing her lips together, soundlessly set Lily's things on the nearest table and guided Mary out of the common room.

* * *

><p>"Where's Lily?" Remus asked as the four Marauders came up to the Fat Lady where Marlene and Mary were standing. James watched as Mary ushered a group of irritated third years away.<p>

"She's in the common room," Mary responded. "Alice is with her."

James made a move to enter the common room, but Marlene stepped swiftly in his path. "Don't, James."

"What happened back there?" he demanded.

Marlene glanced at Mary. "I don't know," she admitted. "Whatever was happening back there, it was something only Alice knew about. You don't know how much I need to know what happened to Lily because whatever happened to her, it was bad."

James growled and pushed past Marlene.

"James- don't."

He ignored her, and entered to the common room to see Lily's auburn hair spilled over the arm of the loveseat, and James couldn't see her face; he could only telling that she was trembling. Alice was on the floor next to her, whispering soothing words to her.

Alice suddenly snapped around to Marlene and James; Mary was a little farther back trying to keep Peter and Sirius out of the common room with Remus's help.

"Potter, this isn't a good time," Alice said coldly, and James realized that while she and the other Gryffindor girls might have been helping James with how to behave, Alice's loyalty to Lily trumped anything James wanted at anytime.

Lily raised her head at Alice's warning, and while she was no longer oblivious to her surroundings, her face was pale and the was a silent fear in her eyes that wouldn't quite leave.

"What happened back there?" James asked, and Alice shot him a withering glower with more venom in it than a Basilisk for his stupidity at asking such a personal question she hadn't even told Marlene or Mary about. Marlene growled behind him, but James knew she wanted to know just as much as she did.

Lily shrugged. "Just reminded me of something."

"And Campbell knew that she would react like that," Marlene snarled under her breath so quietly that neither Lily nor Alice could hear her.

"He did?" James whispered.

Marlene nodded while Alice and Lily were talking to each other again in low voices. "Didn't you see how he specifically asked Lily for that curse, the sick bastard."

James's eyes flashed. "I'll be right back," he said, striding back to the Fat Lady's portrait and vanishing with his robes whipping around the corner.

* * *

><p>"It wasn't you, Lily. Campbell wasn't Bellatrix," Alice said softly after she and Marlene had managed to get Lily up to the dormitory before the flood of students came back from dinner in the Great hall.<p>

"But I could remember it, the burning… It was so clear, Alice…" Lily said while staring out the window, the echo of fear from that night slowly ebbing away, the numbness filling her.

"Lily, listen to me," Alice responded, her voice soft but firm. "It was not Bellatrix. Okay? You were not thirteen-years-old again in that corridor."

Lily nodded without uttering a single word.

* * *

><p>"Remind me again: why are we going to see Dumbledore?" Sirius asked as he and James made their way through the castle under the continuous protection James's Invisibility Cloak offered.<p>

"Because we're going to tell him that Campbell can't perform the Imperius Curse on us. McGonagall can't help us; she has no power over Campbell. If what Marlene said is true, who knows what could happen."

"Ah," Sirius said, "And you're sure that Dumbledore actually has a say in the matter? From what I've heard, the Ministry is trying to transfer all decisions to the Minister."

"We have to try, don't we?"

Sirius shrugged. "Might as well."

James and Sirius reached the gargoyle and slid the cloak off of them.

James glanced at Sirius. "Any ideas for the password, Pads?"

"Dunno. It's been a long time for us since we were last here. Guess?"

"Guess," James agreed. "Ice Mice. Cockroach Cluster. Acid Pops- Sirius?"

Sirius stepped forward and said, "Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Chocolate Frogs. Um… Sugar Quills?"

"Pumpkin Pasties? Fizzing Whizzbees? Cauldron Cakes-"

At James's guess of Cauldron Cakes, the gargoyle leapt to life.

"Cauldron Cakes? I was only joking…"

"Hurry up, Prongs. Merlin, this is the first time we came here for something other than detention- hope we don't have to do this again," Sirius mumbled as James knocked on the large door.

"Enter," a voice said, and James's pushed it open to reveal the magnificent office with portraits of former Heads, the little trinkets whirring on various tables.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, what have you two done now?" McGonagall said with a stern, disapproving look.

"I believe," Dumbledore said, stepping around the beautiful desk, purple robes sweeping the floor, "That Mr. Potter and Mr. Black are not here due to causing trouble- a first, I am sure."

James nodded.

"However, Minerva and I must see to something right now, so feel free to wait here until we return," Dumbledore said. "Minerva, whenever you're ready."

McGonagall followed Dumbledore out of the office, leaving James and Sirius standing there.

"Nutter," Sirius said matter-of-factly. "What do you think all these things do, Prongs? Prongs?"

But James wasn't listening to him, instead fascinated by a shallow bowl ringed with engravings he couldn't decipher floating an inch above Dumbledore's desk.

"Um, Prongs?" Sirius asked tentatively.

Inside was full of silvery matter that James couldn't decide if it was liquid or solid. James raised his head and said to Sirius, "What do you think?"

Sirius approached the bowl, curiosity winning out. "I think that we should take a look. Mum's told me about pensieves before, and think about how many memories Dumbledore has. We could see the duel between Grindewald and him."

James grinned, the inner Marauder finally conquering his growing maturity; it was just too much a chance to pass up. He took his wand out, skimming the surface and leaning forward until he felt his feet leave Dumbledore's office and he was falling..falling...

James felt his feet firmly touch the floor, he stumbled slightly; Sirius landed right beside him.

"…will the _Prophet_ ever report the truth?" Alice's voice came, and James whirled around to see Alice and Lily walking towards Sirius and him, but much younger; probably second or third year.

James noted Sirius's surprise at the two girls. He leaned towards James and whispered, "Why does Dumbledore have a memory from Lily and Alice?" James just shrugged in response.

"Maybe- but only on accident," said Lily with a humorless chuckle.

"She's right about that," Sirius commented.

"Who's there?" a raspy voice suddenly said loudly from the end of the corridor.

Both James and Sirius jumped at Filch's voice, and they weren't the only ones; Alice nearly fainted from fright though Lily only looked startled.

"Lily, what do we do? What do we do!" Alice squeaked with her voice rising several octaves, and James managed with difficulty to not roll his eyes at the two young girls, remembering that they weren't as used to sneaking out and night. Come to think of it James had no idea why the two girls were out at this hour; he couldn't remember a time when they were younger when Lily _ever_ broke the rules so blatantly.

He had been so proud when she had finally seen the light and wised up during fourth and fifth year, even dueling him in the Trophy Room in the middle of the night.

"Shut up for starters," whispered Lily furiously, and she slowly tugged Alice backwards. Both James and Sirius followed.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," Filch's horrible voice mocked. The bobbing light drew nearer, and James could barely see their faces.

"Slowly, slowly…" Lily cautioned so quietly he could barely hear it.

_CLANG!_

Alice had backed right into a suit of armor, and it toppled over with a deafening crash. James winced sympathetically, knowing that Peter had always felt bad when he had gotten them caught before though it didn't happen as often.

"RUN!" Lily yelled.

Both Lily and Alice sprinted to the opposite end of the corridor, and the Marauders kept in pace with them; it was easier for James than it was Sirius.

"You can't run from me, you little brats!" yelled Filch.

"Split up," Lily told Alice. Alice's breathing was growing more ragged the longer they ran. "It'll confuse Filch more."

"One point to Lily-Flower," Sirius said, impressed. "We should try that some time just to annoy Filch." James didn't say anything, an uneasy feeling settling in him. Dumbledore wouldn't have the memory of two second year girls unless something important had happened.

"Are- you- crazy? We'll be- caught!" panted Alice.

"See you up in the common room!" said Lily, and she cut to the side down a staircase that James realized led to the dungeons. He was expecting a light from Lily's wand, but there wasn't one, so he just followed the sound of her hurried footsteps.

James heard a groan once the footsteps had slowed down.

Every fifth torch was lit, creating the faintest light. Lily cautiously tip-toed from one torch to the next, barely making a sound. James wondered briefly about asking her to come with them at night since she seemed so adept at nighttime wanderings.

"_Lumos_," Lily whispered at last, and the light flickered on the tip of her wand. James recognized the place as dungeon eight, one of the most isolated dungeons in the castle, far from any place Hogwarts students used.

Lily wandered through the halls, her breath now coming out in a mist. She wrapped her housecoat closer to her.

James's head snapped up at the voices that were coming from the second closest dungeon door, and he glanced at Sirius questioningly, but Sirius shook his head: as far as he could remember, the Marauders had never used dungeon eight.

"…tell us where they are," threatened a voice, and James's saw the blood leave Sirius's face and his fists clench in rage.

_Bellatrix,_ he mouthed, and James stared fearfully at the young Lily. While she had always been a clever and skillful witch, James knew that the young girl she was now was no match for Bellatrix.

"You're not getting anything out of me," replied a cracked voice, a voice James immediately recognized as Stoughton, and the sudden clarity of the situation slammed against him, and he gasped.

Stoughton had been killed late during their second year, and though James and the other Marauders had accepted Dumbledore's explanation without a doubt, Remus's hesitation in believing the story was still echoing in his ears.

Only one shared look between James and Sirius told him that they were both thinking the same thing: Lily had somehow been involved in Stoughton's murder, and he could remember the uneasiness Lily displayed for the remainder of the term during second year. It all made sense now.

James watched as Lily sank into the wall, staring at a spot on the floor only she could see with terror.

"Oh… I wouldn't be so sure about that. Nobody will hear you down here. We've put a Silencing Charm to the entrance of this corridor, so the only people in danger of overhearing are stupid little kids who come wandering in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they would be dealt with soon enough. _Crucio!_"

Stoughton's screams of pain floated through the air, and James flinched at the terrible sounds.

Bellatrix was laughing cruelly, and James felt a surge of hate at the Death Eater. Lily slid against the stone wall with her hands over her ears.

Suddenly his screams stopped.

James's heart leapt as Lily risked discovery by peeking through a crumbling hole in the wall. She was going to get caught, and he didn't want to imagine just what Bellatrix would do if she caught Lily, a Muggle-born and the kind of person Bellatrix despised the most, watching something that was supposed to be secret.

"Do you want more of that, old man? That's just a little taste of what we have planned if you don't give us our answers quickly. If you tell us, you'll be spared with a painless death," laughed Bellatrix. It was disgusting that Bellatrix could do this kind of thing.

Stoughton groaned and rolled over on his side. "You'll have to kill me."

"Will you ever learn? _Crucio!_" Bellatrix roared, and Lily curled up into a ball, rocking back forth with her ears plugged, but James could tell it did her no good; it wouldn't have done him any good either.

"Do we have to go through this again, old man? You think that seventh years like us will quail behind these curses?"

"Kill me then," said Stoughton. "Kill me, and I'll be honored to die for somebody else. I may be the Secret Keeper, but you'll never get it out of me."

This was new for James since whenever somebody had asked why Stoughton was killed, Lily had always been quiet. James mentally slapped himself for not noticing how Lily had always mysteriously disappeared from the conversation if Stoughton's murder was ever brought up. The hints were always there...

"You're an idiot, old man, if you think we won't get the information another way. Delran, where's the Veritaserum?"

At this Stoughton laughed. "Fool. They don't call me one of the best Occlumens since Merlin himself for nothing. No amount of Veritaserum will get me to betray my friends."

"You talk too much, old man," sneered Bellatrix. She advanced on Stoughton as if every bit of this was as amusing as watching a puppy chase its tail. "_AVADA KEDAVRA!_"

James heard Lily's gasp but was transfixed on Stoughton as the blinding flash of green light that meant instant death burst from Bellatrix's wand and hit Stoughton squarely in the chest.

He fell to the floor almost gracefully, his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling with his mouth hanging slightly open in surprise.

"Take care of him, Justin," ordered Bellatrix who was unperturbed by the fact she had just murdered a man in cold blood. Lily looked like how James was feeling, disgusted and aghast.

At Bellatrix's casual dismissal of Stoughton's body, a new wave of fury burst forth from James. He had never hated anybody so strongly as he hated Bellatrix at the moment.

Justin waved his wand, and Stoughton's body was Transfigured into a large rock, further fueling his rage.

"Bury it at the edge of Hagrid's pumpkin patch."

Bellatrix approached Sturgis who was stirring. "Perhaps you can tell us what we want," said Bellatrix in the voice a person pouting when they didn't get to cheat off somebody else's test and had to ask another student.

James jumped as he realized that Sturgis was there as well, out cold until Bellatrix kicked him with her boot.

Sturgis was now awake, or at least half conscious. He gaped at the place where Stoughton's body had been, piecing it together.

"What did you do?" gasped Sturgis, wide-eyed with disbelief that a peer could murder somebody just like _that_.

"You won't answer my question either. Pity. _Imperio!_"

James felt his heart drop into his stomach at the Imperiused Sturgis, flashing back to the lessons on the Unforgivable Curses.

He was under the complete control of Bellatrix and her twisted ways, just as capable as fighting Lily as Bellatrix was, and he would probably win too.

Sturgis winced, and his face was going red from exertion. Beads of sweat reflected the faint firelight, and James admired his strength to fight it; perhaps he could still help Lily out of there without her getting harmed. Suddenly Sturgis collapsed under the force of the spell, and the pointless optimism vanished as did Sturgis's will.

A sharp, and very audible, intake of breath sent the last hope James held dissolved into the air; Bellatrix will now have known that somebody was spying on them.

She whipped her head around to the entrance where Lily was hiding, and James's heart stopped in his fear for Lily. "Who's there?" Bellatrix demanded in a sharp voice.

Lily wisely didn't answer.

"Sturgis, go find out who's there and Cruciate them," said Bellatirx with a wicked smile.

"Run, Flower!" Sirius yelled, and James had completely forgotten that he was there.

Though he knew that Lily couldn't hear them, James didn't stop thinking how dangerous it would be for Lily if she stood there and waited for Bellatrix to catch her.

Merlin answered James's prayers when Lily ran.

Her hurried footsteps confirmed that she had been spying, but James didn't care about that. All that he wanted Lily to do was put as much distance humanly possible between herself and Bellatrix.

Sturgis' heavy footfalls were close behind her, but he knew Lily was a speedy runner and that she wouldn't stop.

"_Crucio!_" Sturgis yelled, and James's heart leapt into his throat as the intense burst of light burst from his wand and came so close to Lily that it ruffled her hair. Thankfully she didn't even look back but kept running as fast as she could; even James, who at the moment was years older, had a tough time keeping up with her.

"_Trinus!_" Bellatrix yelled, and Lily went sprawling on the floor from her Trip Jinx.

Bellatrix swooped down on Lily right as she flipped over on her back, and yanked her up by her hair, causing Lily to cry out in pain.

"You're the Mudblood Evans, aren't you? Yes, I can smell your filthy blood." Bellatrix pulled Lily closer and stood over her with a cruel glint in her dark eyes.

Lily did the last thing James expected her to do: she spat at Bellatrix.

Bellatrix growled and slapped her hard across her face.

"Wake up, stupid Gryffindor, and watch your fellow student suffer what you could have prevented yourself," giggled Bellatrix, and she flicked her wand, causing the blankness to vanish from Sturgis' eyes but also conjuring ropes to bind him.

"Evans?" Sturgis asked incredulously. His face paled as he saw that she was defenseless against the three malevolent seventh years.

"_Crucio!_" Bellatrix suddenly yelled, and James could do nothing but watch with horror as Bellatrix's curse sailed right at the unsuspecting Lily.

The most terrible scream pierced the air: one blood-curdling, drawn-out screech of nothing but absolute and unequivocal agony. James had never heard anybody ever make that sound. It was alien, something that should never come from a person, ever, let alone Lily. She started twisting and jerking, an indescribable expression of pain on her face, still screaming like there was nothing left on Earth except to screech from the torture Bellatrix was inflicting.

Bellatrix started laughing, an demented shriek that made James's blood boil with both hatred and revulsion. Anything he had felt before was nothing compared to this, like the size of a gnome to a dragon.

Bellatrix removed the curse after a while, and Lily just lay there, disoriented, not knowing which way was up. She couldn't move, from fear or aftermath of the Cruciatus Curse, James couldn't tell.

"She's thirteen years old! What do you think you're doing, you sick bastard?" Sturgis yelled.

"Look, Podmore! You're fellow Gryffindor's still awake after a full minute of the Cruciatus Curse. Five points to Gryffindor for stubbornness. Five points to Slytherin for the excellent use of the Cruciatus Curse," mocked Bellatrix, and James clenched his fists.

"Don't you dare-"

"I've had enough of your whining, Podmore," snarled Bellatrix, and she flicked her wand, effectively shutting Sturgis up.

Bellatrix turned back to Lily, whose eyelids were fluttering open.

"Whispers here and there. You certainly have a keen mind for somebody your age," said Bellatrix, stepping closer but keeping out of Lily's spitting range. "You might be a useful servant to the Dark Lord if you weren't a Mudblood. Tell me, how were you able to figure us out?"

James flashed back to the theories Lily had been focusing on, almost obsessing on them. She had told him, the rest of the Marauders, and her friends about the Death Eaters even if the rest of them had been too ignorant to believe it.

If Lily had told Bellatrix…

"Who else did you tell? Say the names, and we might be more merciful to them." Bellatrix aimed her wand at Lily, but she kept her lips firmly shut.

Bellatrix jabbed her wand, and Lily was abruptly flying through the air with no means of support. Her flailing arms did nothing, and her head smashed against the base of a statue where she lay unmoving.

The Slytherins' laughter reverberated throughout the dungeon, but James was focusing on Lily, willing her to get up, but she didn't move a finger.

"Did you knock her out?" asked Delran.

_Please no, please no, please no…_

"I don't know. Probably. You have no idea how weak some second years are," Bellatrix responded with an amused quality in her tone.

Delran strutted towards Lily, but still she did nothing, fueling the fear that she wasn't going to get out unscathed, and there was nothing James could do.

Delran pressed his wand into Lily's shoulder.

"_IMPEDIMENTA!_" Lily bellowed, flipping over so fast James didn't have time to blink.

Rather than a jet of light, there was a blast of pure energy radiating from her wand. Though it didn't affect James, he could still feel the power that filled the room, a power only Dumbledore could have achieved.

Lily, white and shaking, struggled to her feet, wand in hand and an expression of sheer determination set in her face.

She stumbled over to where Sturgis was straining against the ropes.

"_Diffindo,_" Lily muttered.

Sturgis gave one last tug at the ropes, and they fell free. He rubbed his wrist before grabbing Lily's arm and saying, "Run."

And Lily was suddenly a blur racing down the corridor, so fast that James had trouble keeping up with her.

"They're going to get Dumbledore! Run! RUN!" Bellatrix's echoing voice screeched...

Somebody gently pulled James, and he was spiraling up, the scene vanishing along with Lily. There was a brief moment of darkness before his feet landed on the floor, and he stumbled backwards slightly.

Sirius was beside him, and Dumbledore was in front of him, a grave expression on his face.

"Sir, we didn't mean to- I know we shouldn't have-"

Dumbledore raised his hand, effectively cutting off any excuses that had been whizzing around Sirius's head he would have spouted.

"I hope you know that the particular event is known by few. The only people with the full knowledge are Ms. Evans, myself, the Death Eaters and now you two gentlemen. Others know of what happened, but not the full details, and I believe Ms. Evans would like to keep it that way," he said.

James tried swallowing, but it was like swallowing Skele-Grow. He couldn't. "So all of the things you told us about Stoughton…"

"Were true," Dumbledore said. "I must enforce upon you the seriousness. This is the reason young Sage taught Ms. Evans how to defend herself should Voldemort decide to come after her, and this is the reason you must not repeat what you saw to anybody. That includes Mr. Lupin and Mr. Pettigrew."

James could tell that Sirius didn't like the idea of not sharing everything with Remus, and Dumbledore must have noticed this because he said, "She saved both of you and all of your friends. If she told Bellatrix whom she had told, they would have come after you since it was before the Death Eaters made their presence known. Lord Voldemort does not like to have anybody know everything except himself."

"Wait, Professor Dumbledore. You mean that Voldemort is after her."

Dumbledore merely looked at James. "That is correct, Mr. Potter. She has already had several run-ins with the Death Eaters, though I dread the time when she comes across Bellatrix Lestrange and Francis Manumali again. I fear she won't be ready."

"She will be," James said resolutely. "She's much stronger than most people think and quick on her feet."

More than James had ever imagined. All the times he and the other Marauders had taunted her for not being at their level, not being strong enough to handle some things, she had lived through that night as a second year against Bellatrix, something James knew nobody else could have done. Even if all the Marauders had been there, James had a gut feeling that they would have all been killed, but somehow, thankfully, Lily had pulled through with only her magic and quick-thinking.

"She's clever," James told Dumbledore, flashing back to Lily's duels, how she never used only her wand and direct spells, preferring to rely on the things around her to win and using methods only a Seer could predict. Rawlings had told them that unpredictability and logic were both great weapons, and Lily possessed both in large quantities.

Instead of Dumbledore smiling and saying that there was still that: that Lily seemed to have a talent at wiggling out of seemingly hopeless situations, his expression was mournful as he stared James directly in the eye.

"The problem, Mr. Potter, is that Lord Voldemort is all that and more."

**First off: I am so sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. I've missed almost two weeks of school due to some unexpected circumstances, which I'm sure most of you lovely readers know, is like a month in school. There is a lot of schoolwork that I need to catch up on, and I was also doing a lot of things to prepare for the ACT. (Fingers crossed I did well). If I don't update in a while, I did NOT abandon this story. I'm just dealing with a lot of stress and schoolwork, and I hope you can understand why I might not update for a little bit. I just wanted to get this chapter up and let all you lovelies know that I will NOT abandon this story.**

**Second: I hope you liked it. The court and all the drama from before will still be coming up, I didn't forget that, but I thought this would be a nice way to bridge the gap between Lily and James, and also so James knows what happened back in second year. What did you all think about the little Terry part? The memory? The DADA lesson? I know, Campbell is a real asshole, and I hate him just as much as you do, but I'm still planning on having all the evil people hang around because I'm not sure about you, but I find villains fun to write about.**

**And the little part with Alice yelling "Kiss my ass, Campbell!" was just because I thought it was perfect timing since she puts her friends ahead of everything including detentions, which I'm sure Campbell will give. Plus I just like the idea of Alice swearing at a teacher since there have been a couple of people I would just love to yell at, but I couldn't, so this is my little outlet :D**

**I think this is the longest chapter I've written :) **

**So please review! You know how much I love them! *wink, wink, hint, hint, nudge, nudge* Though please no flamers. Thank you.**

**As always, thanks to: Sarahrules336, ClamatiWP, AshJaz, twilightstargazer, lynnnnyl, and BethMalfoy4922 :D XOXOXO to you guys!  
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**Your yo-yo Muggle,**

**12-Nerds-Meet-12-Geeks**

**AN: AGAIN, I AM NOT ABANDONING THIS STORY!**


	53. Mind over Matter

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_Dumbledore merely looked at James. "That is correct, Mr. Potter. She has already had several run-ins with the Death Eaters, though I dread the time when she comes across Bellatrix Lestrange and Francis Manumali again. I fear she won't be ready."_

_"She will be," James said resolutely. "She's much stronger than most people think and quick on her feet."_

_More than James had ever imagined. All the times he and the other Marauders had taunted her for not being at their level, not being strong enough to handle some things, she had lived through that night as a second year against Bellatrix, something James knew nobody else could have done._

_"She's clever," James told Dumbledore, flashing back to Lily's duels, how she never used only her wand and direct spells, preferring to rely on the things around her to win and using methods only a Seer could predict. Rawlings had told them that unpredictability and logic were both great weapons, and Lily possessed both in large quantities._

_Instead of Dumbledore smiling and saying that there was still that: that Lily seemed to have a talent at wiggling out of seemingly hopeless situations, his expression was mournful as he stared James directly in the eye._

_"The problem, Mr. Potter, is that Lord Voldemort is all that and more."_

**Mind over Matter**

"Dumbledore couldn't do anything," Alice said glumly as she collapsed in the couch next to Mary, who hissed as she jostled her Divination homework. "Oh, give me a break, Mary; it's not like it's useful or anything."

"What couldn't Dumbledore do?" Marlene asked absentmindedly while she thumbed through _Cooking the Muggle Way – _she had a hard time believing Lily when she said that Muggles "used a big box to warm up the food", and she needed confirmation from the Muggle Studies book.

"He couldn't stop Campbell from performing the Imperius Curse on us. With the new Educational Decree, Minister Leach has the authority of the Headmaster. He's trying to make Dumbledore out as little more than a wizard with a long beard – have you proved Lily wrong yet?"

"No, but I will, and you forgot the _awesome _long beard."

Lily sighed, exasperated. "Being the one from the Muggle family, I don't think it would be smart to try to prove me wrong."

"But Lily," Marlene said, "How in the name of Merlin would Muggles work a maxiwave. What good does pressing a bunch of buttons do you?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "First, Alice, I think you mean _micro_wave. And second, it's called electricity."

Marlene crossed her arms and looked doubtful, but she didn't oppose Lily's statement.

"Hello? Can we focus on the bigger picture? Campbell's going to _Imperio _all of us. Am I the only that sees the many things wrong with that picture?"

"If Dumbledore can't do anything about it, Alice, then I don't think we will," Lily said quietly, exhaling in defeat. The truth was that she was terrified; the incident with the Unforgivable Curses was just a reminder to Lily of how useless she was in the war, but she couldn't fight against Campbell when he had the entire Ministry behind him. Dorcas's warning still echoed in her head.

"Lily! Of all the people I thought you would be the one to try to stop Campbell," Alice said.

Lily felt a flash of annoyance at her best friend, and she stood up, shaking free her resigned demeanor. "What makes you think that I haven't tried, Alice? Do you think I _wanted _to do the lesson of the Unforgivable Curses? Or better yet – the threats at the beginning of the year?"

Alice looked a little apologetic, but Lily wasn't done yet. "It's more than just yelling at some teacher, Alice. It's more than just me, and you girls need to understand that," Lily said, turning around and leaving the common room.

* * *

><p><em>Lily Evans had saved his life<em>.

After everything that the Marauders had put her through, she had saved their lives while under the Cruciatus Curse. James continued to wander the corridors alone, dwelling on that small piece.

Why? With all the pranks and bullying during the early years, she had every reason to exchange his name for escaping the Cruciatus Curse.

"Oomf!" James ran right into the person just rounding the corner, so completely lost in thought that he hadn't noticed where he was going.

"I'm so sorry – I wasn't paying at – Potter?"

Speak of the basilisk, he had walked right into Lily herself. Such a great way to repay her.

"Evans…" James said nervously, rumpling his hair and staring at Lily. She still looked exactly like she always did: dark auburn hair that feel to the middle of her back in gentle waves, pale, perfect skin, and vividly bright green eyes that only intensified in the sinking sun, but James couldn't look at her the same way, not after what he and Sirius saw in the pensieve.

"Potter, are you okay?" Lily asked. For once there was no lingering contempt in her voice, only genuine concern. "Potter?" she repeated, waving her hand in front of his face.

James jumped, not realizing that he had been staring at her. "Yeah, yeah… How are you?" he asked in a voice that sounded completely different from his own.

Lily regarded him carefully, like she was unsure whether he was in the midst of pulling a prank or if he was sincere. James couldn't blame her; the last time he had been friendly with no other motives was… never.

"I'm okay. Are you just walking, or is the rest of your little gang right around the corner?"

James shrugged. "Just walking." Now would usually be the time when he would ask her to Hogsmeade, but Alice had finally managed to beat some things into his head, though Sirius would still need all the help he could get when it came to tact. "So…"

James was aware that he was acting rather oddly around Lily, and she herself looked torn between departing or staying to make sure James really was in his right mind. Lily just folded her arms and raised an eyebrow expectantly, though she wasn't glaring: only a careful evaluation.

"What do you think of Campbell performing the Imperius Curse on us." It was perhaps one of the stupidest questions since he knew she absolutely despised the idea of being under Campbell's absolute control, but for once Lily didn't get annoyed at him for asking a dumb question.

"It's despicable," she commented.

_Now's your chance, James. She's not yelling at you, and you just have to watch what you say,_ James told himself.

"It's possible to fight it," James told her, and Lily just sighed.

"I know, but not a lot of people can," she said, hopping up onto the windowsill with surprising grace. James joined her and took it as a good sign when she didn't kick him off; she was too preoccupied with other things to worry about her rivalry with him.

"It all depends on your strength of character. My father once told me to treat it as simply as mind over matter. I think you'd stand a chance."

Lily glanced at him under her long lashes, lips quirking into a small smile. "Did I just hear James Potter give a compliment?" she asked.

James flashed her a winning grin to which she didn't respond, though James thought it was a small step when he noticed she only rolled her eyes.

"Depends."

Lily laughed lightly and shook her head. "Potter, you change personalities like Kelpies change shapes."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Lily stared at him, her expression a mix of fond exasperation and re-evaluation. "I will say that I prefer this side of you to the annoying Marauder who makes me want to rip my own hair out in frustration."

"Don't. I like your hair like that," James said, and a very faint, pink tinge appeared on Lily's cheeks.

"I'll remember to tell Alice that when she and Marlene give me my next haircut."

James laughed and stared out the huge, arched window, watching the last bit of sunlight disappear beneath the horizon. Lily was actually sitting here, _with him_, and she wasn't yelling at all. It was almost like she was an old friend.

James swallowed painfully. He hated to break the rare tranquility that existed around Lily and him, but he needed to tell her.

"Listen Lily…" James started nervously, ruffling his hair. Lily swiftly snapped her head up at his serious tone. She narrowed her eyes; James continued, deciding to make it quick. "When Sirius and I were in Dumbledore's office, we came across a memory…"

At these words, Lily bit her lip as if she knew what James was getting at. "Which one: Cassandra Trelawney or Stoughton?" she asked in a defeated voice.

"Stoughton's murder," James finished quietly, and Lily's chin trembled.

"Did Sirius see it as well?" James's silence was louder than any verbal confirmation, and Lily continued, "Do you think I'm a coward for running from Bellatrix?"

The question shocked James; it was not the first thing he was expecting to hear from Lily's mouth. "No! You were in second year, and there was no way you could have beaten her and two other seventh years in a duel-"

Lily held up a hand to silence James. "I need to go."

She slid off the windowsill, but not before James said, "Lily, wait-"

"Just – just please don't tell anybody, Potter," Lily said, looking at him in a way that was so different from what he was used to. For the past month Lily had been so different from the young woman he had grown up with, and it wasn't just Campbell's lessons. She so much more reserved from the outspoken girl in the past five years.

James looked a little hurt. "I wasn't going to, Lily."

Lily allowed a brief smile to flicker across her face though it couldn't erase the pain in her eyes. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>"The Imperius Curse," Campbell said to the class at large, "Is one of the most formidable curses you will ever experience, which is why today we will focus on working to overcome it. Be warned: it takes an extremely strong will to throw off the curse. In order to have a chance, you need a strong sense of purpose."<p>

Lily shifted uncomfortably in her seat beside Beth Quagmire. If she had a purpose, it was _not _to let Campbell control her. So many things could happen: he could never take off the curse, and Lily would basically be his slave, she could receive brain damage… The possibilities were endless.

"So, Ms. Macdonald, you're first."

One after one Campbell called up the students: Mary sang the Muggle national anthem – she wasn't the best Lily had heard – Peter imitated a squeaky rat, though all the Marauders looked like they were holding in grins, and Daphne Cargrah did a back flip to much applause.

"Ms. Evans, you're up," Campbell said, ushering Lily like a normal teacher, but there was a glint in his eyes that screamed danger.

Nevertheless, she walked forward on shaking legs, but not before she caught James's eye. What was it he had told her?

_Mind over matter._

It was a simple questionof whether or not she had a stronger will than Campbell. When casting Unforgivables, Lily knew it was much more than saying the incantation, thus giving the caster an already superior amount of control over her, but if she had enough willpower to fight, then she had the chance of beating Campbell.

Lily took a deep breath and faced a smirking Campbell. Without warning he pointed his wand at her and whispered, "_Imperio_."

The most blissful feeling washed over Lily. It was like there was nothing wrong in the world; she was just floating, content to drift in the endlessness for eternity.

_Flap your arms like a chicken._

Was that a voice? Why did it sound so familiar?

_Flap your arms like a chicken!_

Lily did nothing. She could hear the familiar voice and there was a flicker of anger in her, interrupting the bliss that she was in.

_Do what I said!_

Campbell! That's why the voice sounded so familiar, and suddenly the flicker grew within her, burning hotter and hotter the longer Campbell's voice bounced around in her head.

_No. I refuse._

_I repeat: flap your arms like a chicken._

_Get out of my head._

_Do it – NOW!_

"GET OUT!" Lily didn't realize that she had screamed the last words, and the force of her mental barriers was so strong that Campbell stumbled backwards and tripped, landing flat on the floor.

Lily's fury had built until it erupted, temporarily inhibiting any magic from harming her. She could still feel the burn tickle her skin, her fingers tingling with magic.

Campbell got unsteadily to his feet, gasping. He glared at Lily. "The point of this exercise was to show you what the Imperius felt like. I do not recall telling you to try to harm me-"

Lily angrily opened her mouth to respond, but James beat her to it.

"Well, she learned, and she was able to repel it! Since when is it a crime to succeed?" he shot at Campbell.

"Mr. Potter, it is not in your place to question the Ministry and its methods. I suggest you keep your mouth shut."

"The Death Eaters won't care!"

"Ms. Evans, hold your tongue!" Campbell shouted. "All events relating to the Death Eaters have been blown out of proportion, and I can see that all of you have bought Professor Dumbledore's accusation. As Minister Leach says, wizards don't have anything to fear as long as they stay out of the way."

"Who told the Minister to say that? Voldemort?" The words were out of Lily's mouth before she could stop them. The class gasped as one, and Campbell stared at her.

How stupid was she to accuse the Minister of Magic himself of working with Voldemort? And in front of one his loyal lackies also.

"Ms. Evans…" Campbell spat, and Lily fought down her guilt, Alice's words coming back to her. Why should she feel guilty for telling the truth and standing up? Of course, Lily doubted that Alice was thinking about this kind of thing.

"So? It's not like it's not true?"

"Ms. Evans! Headmaster's office – _NOW_!" Campbell practically screamed, and Lily left without a second glance.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Evans! Wait up," James called, catching up to her just as she stood in front of the gargoyle that hid the way to Dumbledore's office.<p>

"Potter? What are you doing here?" Lily asked incredulously as James skidded to a stop right next to her.

James grinned. "After you left things started to get out of hand. Let's just say that Campbell blamed me for throwing a Dungbomb in his face."

Lily stared at him. Though she had always been set against any pranks that the Marauders might pull, she couldn't deny that she wasn't angry in the smallest way that James had flicked a Dungbomb at the teacher.

"Once a Marauder-"

"Always a Marauder," James finished for her. "Cauldron Cakes."

The gargoyle sprang to life and leaped aside. Lily stepped forward and knocked on the door loudly.

"Enter," Dumbledore's voice said, and Lily pushed open the door.

She had always been awed by Dumbledore's office, with the little trinkets and portraits. Fawkes the phoenix, magnificent as ever, stood on his perch and peered at Lily curiously.

"Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter-"

Dumbledore was interrupted by a loud banging behind them; Campbell had thrown the door open in his fury. He saw Lily first, and seethed, "Professor Dumbledore, I cannot have one of your students accusing the Minister of Magic of working with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named without proof. Nobby will be informed of your inability to keep your students under control."

Dumbledore surveyed Campbell over the tips of his fingers. "I have a hard time believing that Ms. Evans would accuse anybody of working with Voldemort without good reason. Being one of our brightest and most talented students, I believe that we need to hear her defense-"

"No we don't," a voice said loudly and clearly from behind Campbell. Lily felt her heart sink as Nobby Leach, the Minister of Magic, strode though the door with a scowl on his face. Campbell bowed low, and if Lily had any respect for him, it would have plummeted at the irritating gesture.

The Minister nodded at Campbell. "Thank you for Flooing me."

Leach stood in front of Dumbledore. "The Wizengamot and I have just made law that any accusations of a high-ranking official will be treated as an attack on the Ministry, something that most people would treat as treason. Ms. Evans," Here he glowered at Lily, but she stuck out her chin in response and didn't do anything until he looked away, "will also be treated as such."

"That's nice," Lily spat, "You're taking away any freedom that wizards and witches still have left."

Leach ignored her and continued, "Seeing as Ms. Evans does not have a respectable Wizarding family to back her up, she will be forced to follow any rightful justice the Wizengamot sees fit to apply alone."

"Who says she doesn't have anybody backing her up?" James said in a fierce voice, and Lily had almost forgotten that he was here. She tried to dissuade him with a small jerk of her head; she wasn't going to let anybody else go down with her, but James ignored her – a first.

Leach smiled coolly. "She needs a respectable Wizarding family-"

"The name Potter still carries a lot of weight, Minister," James shot at him. Lily had never seen him play that card, using his family name to sway people, not to get on the Quidditch team and not to convince Lily to go to Hogsmeade with him. It just wasn't James, and Lily could tell he didn't like it. Neither did she.

"Mr. Potter, I hardly think that a minor such as yourself can make the decisions of your entire family."

"Ask my parents, Minister," James said. "I'm sure you know that there are no other Potters in the Wizarding world."

"Mr. Potter-"

"He's right," Dumbledore interrupted, "If Mr. and Mrs. Potter are willing to back up young Ms. Evans, the Wizengamot will need a trial for Ms. Evans."

Leach glared at Dumbledore, and Lily pressed her lips together to keep from smiling; everything was going the exact opposite of what the Minster had planned. "With everything going on it would take months for the Wizengamot to fit in a trial."

"But if the Potter family does indeed want a trial, then you shall need to wait. Ms. Evans will have every freedom granted to British witches until the trial."

"Dumbledore, now you listen here-"

"Unless you would like to break the law, thus proving Ms. Evans's theories correct. Then she will have much more evidence in the trial that will come."

Leach's face grew steadily redder until Lily could have boiled an egg on it. "Fine, but if the Potter family is no longer in the picture, then the Wizengamot will be free to choose Ms. Evans's fate."

"They'll agree," James said in a determined voice. "They don't like you that much. They much prefet Millicent Bagnold from Head of Magical Law Enforcement."

Dumbledore smiled. "I think that clears everything up. Minister, you're free to leave my office until I inform you otherwise."

**I'm alive! I know that it's been almost two weeks, and I am so sorry. Unfortunately, I 'm still a little behind, but I wanted to get this chapter up because I just feel so bad that I haven't updated in FOREVER!**

**So please let me know what you think! You could be really super nice and give me my birthday present in the form of a nice, long review. Please, please, please! What do you think about James having to use his "old Wizarding family" card to help Lily? Or the Imperius Curse lessons? I think that most of you can guess the main reason why I'm putting that part in my story beside the extra drama :D**

**Your Cinco de Mayo Muggle,**

**5-Birthday-Nerds**


	54. Devils

_Previously on Deals with Life and Lilies:_

_"But if the Potter family does indeed want a trial, then you shall need to wait. Ms. Evans will have every freedom granted to British witches until the trial."_

_"Dumbledore, now you listen here-"_

_"Unless you would like to break the law, thus proving Ms. Evans's theories correct. Then she will have much more evidence in the trial that will come."_

_Leach's face grew steadily redder until Lily could have boiled an egg on it. "Fine, but if the Potter family is no longer in the picture, then the Wizengamot will be free to choose Ms. Evans's fate."_

_"They'll agree," James said._

_Dumbledore smiled. "I think that clears everything up. Minister, you're free to leave my office until I inform you otherwise."_

**Devils**

_Dear Jamie,_

_Tell Lily that she has nothing to worry about. Your father and Dumbledore had already had many arguments with Leach, and we will be behind her 100 percent along with anybody else who doesn't have support. The Minister is a self-obsessed moron who needs a taste of his own medicine._

_Your father is currently negotiating with the Wizengamot, and nothing major should happen until summer, so you and Lily have time to enjoy the peace before the arguing politicians disrupt everything._

_But I really would like to meet her. I've only seen her from a distance, and I think you should introduce us. I'm not asking right away but eventually._

_Love,_

_Mum_

* * *

><p>"I don't get it, Snape," said Mulciber as he paced the Slytherin common room. "Why do you keep insisting that Mudblood Evans is worth keeping alive? She and all the other bits of filth will be dead and gone by the time the Dark Lord has reinstituted the rightful order. We're just speeding along the process."<p>

Severus flinched at the word Mudblood. Every time he heard that word, he was forcibly reminded of the reason that Lily was no longer talking to him, and itt cut him like a knife to see Lily laughing and smiling with her other friends, knowing that it should be him in Prewett's or McKinnon's place. They had shared everything. She was his one link during those dreadful summers stuck in Cokeworth, and he had ruined it all with a single word.

"I've told you before, Lycoris," explained Severus patiently. "Evans will be fighting against the Dark Lord-"

"All the more reason to slit her throat," sneered Avery.

Severus ignored him but not without effort. "-and if we can get her to live a bit longer, she might be very valuable to the Dark Lord."

"How could a jumped-up little Mudblood be of use to the Dark Lord? Unless the Mudblood's practice for the Cruciatus Curse," Mulciber demanded. He looked offended that a Muggle-born - specifically Lily - could offer Voldemort something he couldn't.

Severus gripped his wand tightly. All he wanted to do was keep Lily alive, no matter what else happened. Even if she was being tortured, she was alive.

He fought to keep his voice detached. "Somebody like Lily Evans is bound to be invited to whatever little resistance is left."

"The Dark Lord can crush those little blood-traitors any day. Again – why would he worry about one little Mudblood?"

"Because if there is a resistance, Dumbledore is surely a part of it. Or would you prefer to spend your time facing Dumbledore head-on. As much as you and I hate it, Avery, there are some extremely talented wizards on the other side."

Avery scowled. "We should ask the Dark Lord."

"We are to only meet Bellatrix and Lucius tonight," supplied Severus.

"That's right," said Rosier, appearing behind Mulciber. "And we're late. The Dark Lord does not look kindly on tardiness."

* * *

><p>"You're sure you want to do this, Potter? I don't want to drag you into it," Lily said while the sinking sun disappeared from the sight of Gryffindor tower. She sat cross-legged on the squashy armchair, and James lounged on the loveseat with his feet propped up, twirling his wand absentmindedly in his hand.<p>

"For the last time: yes. It would be a sad day when my parents and I just stood aside for the Ministry to do what they want. There've been plenty of people in my family who are at odds with them."

"I just don't want your family to have any problems because of me."

"You're not the problem; it's the Ministry that's the problem. Dad's been trying to even the playing field for a while now."

Examining her palm she said, "Does he work for the Ministry then?"

"_Worked _for the Ministry. He's a retired Auror," James corrected, and Lily frowned slightly.

"I thought that wizards had a longer lifespan than Muggles. How old is he?"

James shifted uncomfortably, and Lily immediately regretted asking the question. "Let's just say that I was a late gift to my parents."

Despite the awkwardness, Lily had to smile at that. "Somehow I doubt it would be a gift if you had a five-year-old James Potter running around."

"Should I use the word devil in disguise?"

"Probably more suitable – though forget the 'in disguise' part. I have a hard time believing you hid any early pranks."

"You're right; let's just stick with devilish, handsome little fellow."

Lily raised her eyebrow, her smile growing until it could have passed as flirting to the casual bystander. "_Handsome _little fellow? Do you have proof?"

James smirked, a trace of his old arrogance appearing briefly on his eyes, but the mischievous sparkle made it nearly impossible for Lily to compare him to the bully she had known not even a year ago. The playful aura was much lighter, though Lily wasn't fooled into believing that he still didn't have some nastier tricks up his sleeve.

"Have you seen this face? Obviously I was handsome in my youth as well."

"Yes. I'm sure you were adorable," Lily said, giggling at James's expression when she called his adorable. He looked rather offended.

"Try a devilishly charming, irrestible, young ladies-man."

"Whatever you say, James," Lily said, staring out the window.

She was expecting James to say some witty remark, but her comment was met by silence. Lily glanced at James to see that he was giving her the oddest look.

"What?" she asked a little defensively.

"You called me James."

"Wha – well, that is your name, right?" Lily said, fearing that a light blush might betray her.

"Yes, but I didn't think you knew my name."

There was no doubt about it: Lily was now blushing furiously. "I – I thought..." She trailed off, lost for words, and James's smile was growing more pronounced by the second. "You're laughing at me."

"I'm not laughing," James said, shaking his head and chuckling, clearly trying to contain his amusement.

"Yes you are. Stop laughing at me."

"Who said I was laughing?"

"You're laughing right now! Stop."

That was too much for James, and he finally laughed out loud. Lily sighed and put her head in her hands. "Good night, Potter."

* * *

><p>Severus gripped his wand tight. He had enough experience with the Marauders to know never to be unarmed wherever he went.<p>

He smiled coldly at the thought of the Marauders coming across them now. Those cowards would not be able to say any spells before Severus cursed them so thoroughly that Potter wouldn't have any skin uncut for the rest of his life. His Lily would be in for quite a treat.

"Snape, hurry up!" hissed Avery. They made their way across the grounds. The half-moon was shining on the dark green grass, illuminating their path towards the Forbidden Forest. The fools in the Ministry would never think of people finding their way through the forest, but it helped that the idiots underestimated the Dark Lord.

Severus passed the trees which steadily grew thicker and thicker as they proceeded though the forest. The time passed slowly for Severus. Only the occasional hoot of an owl or the constant cracking of twigs and branches by Avery, Mulciber, Rosier, Lestrange, and Wilkes punctured the dead silence.

Severus jumped when Mulciber stepped in a pothole. Mulciber swore loudly, causing several crows to fly away at the sudden sound.

"Severus, Cadmus, Lycoris, Evan, Casper, Rabastan, you are almost late."

Severus drew in a startled breath of cool air as a dead voice spoke. The voice had no emotion; it dripped with an awful coldness that chilled Severus to the bone.

The speaker emerged from behind the thick trees, concealed by a billowing, black cloak. Severus sank to one knee and bowed his head. Here was his master, the one person who could teach him real power. The overwhelming aura of pure Dark energy engulfed Severus, and he gasped. After years of dreaming, Lord Voldemort was here, in person.

It was hard to think of Lily in his presence. His new master would surely awe her. She would finally see that Severus's intentions were nothing more than power and protection.

"Rise," said Voldemort in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper, but Severus caught every word.

Severus did as he was told. He concentrated on staring at the leafy ground with the sudden fear gripping him.

"My Lord?" whispered a feminine voice from behind him.

"Yes, Bellatrix?" said Voldemort. Though Severus couldn't see his face, he was sure Voldemort was smiling.

Bellatrix appeared in front of them, her lustrous brown hair cascading over one shoulder. She surveyed each and every one of them carefully. "Am I expected to work with these Death Eaters now, or am I just meeting my future fellow Death Eaters?"

"They aren't Death Eaters, not yet," Voldemort soundlessly glided towards them. There was a foreboding feeling to his walk. "No – they have to prove themselves first," said Voldemort in his soft voice.

Voldemort stopped in front of Avery. Severus was surprised he managed to stand upright with his shaking limbs. "Unless you have no wish to join us, then I'm afraid that dear Bellatrix here would have to dispose of you in the most...unpleasant way," leered Voldemort.

Avery shook his head frantically from side to side. "N-no, my Lord, my only w-wish is to serve you."

Voldemort didn't say anything but took out his wand and pointed it at Avery who visibly flinched. "You wish to serve me, but you have no idea what I demand of my servants..."

Suddenly, without a single word from Voldemort, Avery was screaming at the top of his lungs, writhing on the ground, but it stopped just as soon as it had started. Severus didn't want to imagine the pain Avery was in that could make him scream like that.

"The Cruciatus Curse, pure agony," murmured Voldemort, caressing the word agony. "That is only a small sliver of what it should feel like on your future victims... I can teach you to control it, only give certain degrees of pain to the less worthy..." Voldemort laughed cruelly. "Get up, scum, you still need to prove yourself."

Avery got to his feet with difficulty. He was wincing constantly.

"Your job," said Voldemort, suddenly business-like, but still soft. "I want you to watch and learn. Keep tabs on potential allies and future enemies. I don't care about the imbeciles that don't know anything and have nothing to offer, but the _powerful _ones," Voldemort slid up to Mulciber so their noses were almost touching. Severus had not realized how tall Voldemort really was until he was close to a giant like Mulciber.

"Practice for the future. When I have deemed you worthy enough, I shall send either Bella or Lucius to talk. I want monthly updates." Voldemort stepped away then twisted so fast that he was almost invisible with speed.

"As for the practice," Voldemort smiled evilly, a menacing glower so awful Severus was temporarily paralyzed with fright, "use your imagination."

With a twirl of his black cloak, he was gone, leaving six boys standing alone in the middle of the forest.

**I can't think of a way to word how sorry I am for not updating sooner. It's been almost two full weeks, and I feel so terrible because I kinda left you hanging at the end of last chapter. For right now, I'll just say that there will probably be irregular updates until after school's over in June. I do have one chater that is mostly written, and I'll save that for when I don't have time to writer because that way you peoples will still get some chapters.**

**Anyways, please forgive me for not updating sooner and review! The most recent reviews are giving me more motivation to write right now. (Junior year slump, weeks of schoolwork to catch up on, and a couple of my own little devils, etc...)**

**I completely forgot to thank my reviewers last chapter: alcatluvr13, BethMalfoy4922, ClamatiWP, Sarahrules336, ItDidntMeanForever, twilightstargazer, keep calm and expecto patronus, lynnnnyl, dbquills, and IllusiveButterfly. Thank you so much for all your reviews! Lots of hugs and kisses to you all :D**

**Your sick of Junior year Muggle,**

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**AN: Even though it might be a little bit until I update again, I will repeat: I am _NOT_ abandoningthis story.**


	55. A Betting Game

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_"Your job," said Voldemort, suddenly business-like, but still soft. "I want you to watch and learn. Keep tabs on potential allies and future enemies. I don't care about the imbeciles that don't know anything and have nothing to offer, but the powerful ones," Voldemort slid up to Mulciber so their noses were almost touching. Severus had not realized how tall Voldemort really was until he was close to a giant like Mulciber._

_"Practice for the future. When I have deemed you worthy enough, I shall send either Bella or Lucius to talk. I want monthly updates." Voldemort stepped away then twisted so fast that he was almost invisible with speed._

_"As for the practice," Voldemort smiled evilly, a menacing glower so awful Severus was temporarily paralyzed with fright, "use your imagination."_

_With a twirl of his black cloak, he was gone, leaving six boys standing alone in the middle of the forest._

**A Betting Game**

"Come _on_, Lily!" said Marlene. "You're going to miss Alice play if you don't put that book down right now!"

"Coming," said Lily, still trying to read the last page of her Muggle novel. Marlene was not feeling patient, however, because she grabbed Lily's bookmark, slid it into the page, and jerked it from Lily's grasp.

"Hey! I was reading that, Marlene," said Lily.

Marlene didn't respond. Instead, she held out Lily's cloak and Gryffindor scarf, hat, and gloves. "It's cold out. Be thankful you aren't Alice."

Lily scowled. "I can perform Heating Charms, you know. I already did that to Alice's Quidditch robes."

"Good, then put them to use."

Lily noticed Mary wisely staying out of the conversation with a Gryffindor lion painted on her cheek, pretending to roar while it clawed at a cowering serpent.

"Fine. When does it start?" asked Lily.

"Thirty minutes," said Marlene. "We're late."

"What? It only takes ten minutes to walk down to the pitch. What are you playing at?"

"We need to wish Alice good luck. Duh," said Marlene. "She's at breakfast with the rest of the Quidditch team."

"Plus we need good seats," piped up Mary.

* * *

><p>"Cheer up, Prongs. We can beat those bloody cowards in out sleep," said Sirius as the four Marauders walked down to the pitch, the chilly November air biting at their ears and noses.<p>

"No, but they've been trying to intimidate Rosie ever since she made the team, and both Rosie and Alice are a lot smaller than everybody else on the Slytherin team. They'll be easier targets."

"Are my ears deceiving me, or are the Marauders doubting my Seeker abilities," said Alice, coming up beside Remus with her corkscrew curls tied back into a tight ponytail. Her cheeks were faintly flushed, and James noticed Frank heading off towards the stands with Lily, Marlene, and Mary slightly ahead.

"I'd be more worried about Rosie than you. You've already been in several fights with those snakes, but she's only thirteen, and seventh years have been trying to hex her."

Alice grinned. "You didn't hear that Rosie sent Goyle and Flint to the Hospital wing earlier this week? I taught her some useful hexes, and she rose to the occasion magnificently."

Sirius' eyes widened. "A seventh year and a fifth year? What happened to O'Connor?"

Alice's grin widened. "They were tormenting a second year from Hufflepuff, and Rosie hit Goyle with a Bat-Bogey Hex, and it took Madam Pomfrey a week to get rid of Flint's boils. Apparently he complained to his older brother who graduated years ago, but he's just angry they couldn't take down a third year."

"Well, I believe a 'Congratulations' is in order for young O'Connor. We've been bad influences," said Sirius as they spotted Rosie skipping down with Max, Nathan, and Simon with their broomsticks over their shoulders. James watched as Sirius strutted over to where Rosie was walking and picked her up, giving her a big hug.

"Egotistical much?" Alice whispered in James' ear.

* * *

><p>"Potter passes to O'Connor, a great find this year by the Captain." Booing and jeering from the Slytherins drowned out Remus as tiny Rosie sped past with the Quaffle under her arm.<p>

"O'Connor takes the Quaffle, passes to Cringle who passes it back to O'Connor- OUCH! That had to hurt!"

Lily gasped as Crabbe's Bludger smacked Rosie squarely in the arm. She dropped the Quaffle and pulled her arm closer to her body.

"After that cheating snake- sorry, Professor- after Crabbe hits Rosie in the arm, she drops the Quaffle. Flint takes the Quaffle now-no! Potter grabs it! GIVE HIM-" McGonagall yanked the microphone from Remus as he shouted. "-SO HA! TAKE THAT, CRABBE!"

James flew up alongside Flint and punched the Quaffle out of his grip. Flint tried to elbow James in return, but James was already speeding away.

"Potter with the Quaffle now…careful, careful…Crabbe's aiming another Bludger. Duck, James! He shoots, HE SCORES! AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!"

The crowd was indeed going wild. Lily laughed as she caught sight of Peter shooting sparks out the end of his wand and accidently hitting a fourth year in front of him. Marlene rolled her eyes and pulled Peter down before a fight ensued while still jumping up and down.

Meanwhile, the Slytherins were booing Remus, but the Marauder was finding his own retorts.

"You know what? Screw you, you slimy snakes. Maybe if you weren't-"

The Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs roared, though Lily couldn't tell if they were cheering for James or laughing at Remus' antics. Lily herself was enjoying one of the few times she had seen Remus shake free the quiet prefect persona, but McGonagall did not share Lily's views; she removed the microphone from Remus' grasp and didn't give back until he was done shouting at the Slytherins.

"Let's see. Where was I? Oh, yeah! Slytherin is failing to keep up with the fantastic team Gryffindor has this year, and if they want to win they will have to resort to the cowardly little strategies their so fond of. Cringle with the Quaffle now!"

Max zoomed towards the Slytherin goals with both James and Rosie flanking him. One Beater sent a Bludger pelting towards him, but Nathan was already there. Max passed to Rosie who didn't have a Slytherin covering her, and she caught it.

"Cringle to O'Connor. O'Connor with the Quaffle now- WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? YOU SLIMY SHIT! FOUL!" Remus screamed, and McGonagall was too angry to correct him. Flint has collided with Rosie, and grabbed her head, shaking her violently. She dropped the Quaffle, and Madam Hooch blew her whistle to award Gryffindor a penalty, but it was too late; Rosie had fallen off her broom as Flint dragged her by her head.

Rosie screamed as she plummeted to the ground. Madam Hooch was speeding towards the third year, but she was too far away. Lily watched, horrified, with her hands covering her mouth, as the girl was less than fifteen feet from splattering against the pitch.

Suddenly James was there, dangling Rosie by her arm, five feet from the ground. Nathan appeared next to her with her broomstick and flew off to help Sirius who was clobbering Flint in retaliation. Everybody cheered and returned their attention to the game while Remus was screaming obscenities into the microphone until McGonagall once again was in possession of the microphone.

"Of course after Flint's cheating, disgusting…" Remus was very likely to earn a detention from McGonagall after the game was over.

James leaned down and whispered something in Rosie's ear. She nodded determinedly, and the two flew back onto the pitch. James followed quickly, but Lily had the feeling nobody else had seen it.

"Potter and O'Connor are back now. Let's see if they can get some payback- sorry, Professor- let's see if Gryffindor Chasers can't show the Slytherins how wrong the snakes were for thinking they could beat Gryffindor's amazing team. 220 to 70, Gryffindor."

The Slytherins were resorting to nasty measures to try to keep up with the Gryffindor team, but they were failing most of the times.

"Flint passes to Rosier, another Chaser for Slytherin. Let us all congratulate him for managing to remember where the Quidditch pitch was. Rosier flying towards the Gryffindor hoops. Breeland bracing himself for Rosier- FOUL! PATHETIC, COWARDLY, BLATANT FOUL!" Remus screamed as Crabbe flew, took Simon's neck, and slammed his head against the middle hoop. Madam Hooch's whistle blasted loudly, and Simon's broom dropped several feet while he blinked, confused and dazed.

Max scored when Gryffindor had been awarded a penalty, but the Slytherins had quickly retaliated with their own goal. Simon had been unable to block it through his haze.

The game continued with Gryffindor scoring some more goals, but the Slytherins had used the absence of a Gryffindor reserve Keeper to their advantage, and were quickly catching up.

"Both Prewett and Harvey are still looking for the Snitch, but no luck," said Remus.

Alice was indeed circling the pitch aimlessly, alert for the tiny ball of gold. She needed to catch the Snitch fast, or Slytherin could win since the Slytherins were up 110 points.

"Rosier with the Quaffle now. Avoids Gibbs, avoids Black: he shoots- DAMN! He scores," said Remus gloomily.

120 points.

"C'mon, Alice," muttered Marlene, leaning forward.

Alice suddenly shot forward, a red and gold blur against the blue sky. Harvey, the younger brother of Delran Harvey, the Slytherin who had assisted in Stoughton's cruel murder and Lily's torture, had also seen the Snitch and was tailing Alice by barely a foot.

"What's that? I think Prewett's seen the Snitch… she has! GO, ALICE, GO!" Remus yelled into the microphone, and everybody was cheering on their favorite team.

Harvey had flown up to Alice so they were now neck and neck. Harvey elbowed Alice hard, but she ignored the jab in her stomach and stretched out her arm with everybody leaning forward in anticipation; Mary was chewing her nails furiously.

"PREWETT CATCHES THE SNITCH! 310 TO 280, GRYFFINDOR! WAY TO GO, ALICE!"

* * *

><p>The party was wild; the Marauders had nicked some food from the kitchens, but Lily recognized some things as being from Hogsmeade; she knew that she didn't want to find out how the Marauders had managed it.<p>

Everybody was cheering for Alice, patting her on the back and hugging her. Frank had to scare off a couple of boys who looked like they wanted a little more than a quick embrace, and he was fairly successful after he brandished his wand threateningly at a fifth year who had started leaning in to kiss Alice.

Rosie was quickly becoming a celebrity with all the goals she had scored, almost as much as James – Sirius had insisted on hanging up a large poster of each member of the team until Remus had convinced him that there wasn't enough room.

Sirius suddenly jumped up on the windowsill that was only two windows down from Lily's favorite little cove. He let loose two loud bangs, effectively quieting the cheering Gryffindors and drawing everybody's attention to him.

"I think it goes without saying: those slimy snakes sure got their asses handed to them," he yelled, and everybody roared in response. "It's going to take a lot more than a couple of cowardly fouls to bring the lions…"

"He certainly likes the spotlight," said James, appearing silently at Lily's side. She jumped, startled that he could just materialize out of thin air.

"I'm surprised you're not up there with him, Potter," she said in response. "I would have that since you're the Captain, you would've taken advantage of your status."

She eyed James critically, but he just shrugged and flashed her a smile.

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm just feeling a little tired," he said lightly, and there was a renewed course of cheering at something Sirius was saying.

Lily noticed Alice staring at them, and she silently mouthed, _what? _Alice shook her head and laughing, continued to kiss Frank.

"How far do you think they'll go tonight?" James asked, leaning close to Lily and whispering in her ear; she ignored the shiver running through her.

"Well, I – Potter – what?" Lily spluttered. "I'm not going to bet with anyone on how far my best friend goes. Who does?"

"The Marauders."

"On _who_?"

James chuckled and said, "Padfoot."

Lily stared at him, and James continued, "I always win the bet with Peter."

"Is there some sort of trick you use for winning?"

"Yeah – just say all the way for every girl."

**This was the filler chapter, and I should have the update up soon since I have the entire weekend free. **

**If any of you are wondering about the title change: when I first started this story, I just wanted a catchy title, but now when I'm writing, I didn't think that the title related that well to the story. _The Sun Still Rises _corresponds much better to the story.**

**So please review review review! If you guys like my story, it would be fantastic if you guys would let me know. I dare you to get up to 190 reviews, and if I get up to 200 reviews, I'll work extra hard to get two chapters up by the end of the weekend. It's hard for me to see over 150 visitors to my last chapter but only 5 reviews :(**

**Thanks to BethMalfoy4922, lily617, Sarahrules336, twilightstargazer, and lynnnnyl. Love you guys so much :D**

**Your free Muggle,**

**The-12-Nerds-Are-Free-On-The-12-Worlds**

**3.6.12: never forget.**


	56. The Marauder's Map

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_"Well, I – Potter – what?" Lily spluttered. "I'm not going to bet with anyone on how far my best friend goes. Who does?"_

_"The Marauders."_

_"On who?"_

_James chuckled and said, "Padfoot."_

_Lily stared at him, and James continued, "I always win the bet with Peter."_

_"Is there some sort of trick you use for winning?"_

_"Yeah – just say all the way for every girl."_

**The Marauder's Map**

"Finished?" Sirius plopped down next to James who was carefully tracing an outline of the Astronomy Tower. He let out a small noise of indignation at the shaking of the table. It was now past midnight in the library. Sirius had moaned that the library was not somewhere he wanted to sneak into, but it was the best resource for the spells, and they were guaranteed privacy during the early hours.

"I've told you before that it takes longer than five minutes. I'm almost done," said James in a frustrated voice. Since he was the best at sketching, the other Marauders had assigned him the job of drawing the map. Remus would do any writing the map required since his was the neatest, and Sirius was looking all possible charms they could put on it; Peter was the cheerleader.

"So I've devised a list of everything we should do. We obviously need protection spells, a password to use the map and charms to keep it from being destroyed. It needs to be able to show all people at all times, regardless of disguises and charms. I've been looking at several books, but the spells required are much more difficult. We would have to cast a variation of the Homorphus Charm, along with tweaking the magic of Polyjuice Potion. Since the Invisibility Cloaks don't hide the human presence, we could cast a different form of _Homenum Revelio_."

James, Sirius, and Peter just gaped at Remus like he had grown a second head. They did not understand one word of the long gibberish that Remus said.

"Moony, you need to use English more."

* * *

><p>"I already feeling like I'm drowning in homework," Mary complained as they ate .<p>

"Ditto," said Lily. She spooned some more mashed potatoes onto her plate.

She and Mary were the only ones sitting together. Alice had abandoned them for Frank. She was currently curled up in the common room with food from the kitchens, and Lily didn't want to know what they were doing. Marlene was nowhere to be found, and Sirius had also mysteriously disappeared from the Marauders' spot at Gryffindor's table.

"So did you hear about the next Hogsmeade visit? It's in a couple of weeks," said Mary.

Lily nodded. "You thinking about asking anybody in particular?" She jerked her head in the Marauders' direction.

Mary's eyes widened. "Is it really that obvious?"

"No, but I remember you having a huge crush on him a couple years ago, and I was just wondering if you might still like him," said Lily. Mary was the only one out of the four girls who did not have much experience with boys. She had kissed a boy during a Christmas party in fifth year, but it didn't lead to anything.

"I don't want to be turned down. I'm starting to become the Peter of our group," said Mary sadly.

"No you aren't, Mary. You just haven't found the right guy yet, and you are not the Peter of our group," said Lily. Peter had been unable to find a girlfriend because he was the opposite of the rest of the Marauders: short, plump, and nervous. Mary just hadn't put herself out there that much. She was definitely pretty enough, with her shoulder-length, glossy brown hair, full lips, and large, deep brown eyes, Lily was surprised her friend hadn't realized that there were already several guys looking at her.

Mary sighed and picked at her mashed potatoes. "But you, Alice, and Marlene are so much more beautiful than I am."

"Mary, you are just as pretty as Marlene," said Lily confidently. Sure, she gained a bit of weight, but not as much as Peter or some other people, and Mary was very pretty.

"You really think so?" asked Mary quietly. Ever since fourth year, she had needed reassurances that she was going to find the right guy.

Lily nodded, and she wasn't lying.

"So what's up with you and Potter?" asked Mary slyly.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Why does everybody keep asking me that? He and his family are helping me with the Ministry problem. Besides, Terry and I are still together, or has everybody else forgotten that little fact?"

"Do you think he's hot?"

Lily closed her mouth. Yes, James was handsome, but that didn't mean much. "He's good-looking. Happy?"

Mary smirked as Lily stabbed bits of her chocolate chip pancakes forcefully. "Do you think he's smart?"

"As much as I hate to say it, yes, but he doesn't work at all. It all just comes to him." Lily was liking this conversation less and less.

"Do you think he's nice?"

Lily shrugged. "Depends. Are you asking me right after he's done being an arrogant prick? Since the thing with the Ministry and his parents, he _has _shown me a side of him I didn't know existed, and I'm really grateful that he's doing that."

"So do you like him? At least as a friend."

"I'm deciding," said Lily, taking another bite of her pancakes. "And I'm late."

* * *

><p>"This is the map?" asked Sirius, holding the parchment out at arm's length. He examined it, tracing his finger along his favorite passageways. "Do you think we could charm it to tell us where the Chamber of Secrets is?"<p>

"That's not real, Sirius. It's just a myth the Slytherins like to talk about to scare younger students," said Remus as he came up behind them, levitating at least thirty different books.

"It's real!" cried Sirius. "I overheard my mum talking about it Bellatrix at her engagement party several years ago."

"Your cousin is getting married?" asked Peter in disgust.

Sirius scowled. "Why anybody would ever want to marry that psychotic bitch is beyond me, but yeah, she's married Lestrange's older brother. Just another Voldemort fanatic in my messed up family. Good thing I got out."

Peter flinched slightly as Sirius spoke Voldemort's name.

"Some people are saying it isn't wise to say the name, and You-Know-Who hasn't done much."

"What are you talking about, Pete?" asked Sirius incredulously. "If you are believing the Ministry when they say who is behind the attacks, maybe you should double check Lily-Bean, but I'm damn sure she nor any other Muggle-borns had nothing to do with it."

"But it's just-"

"Just what, Wormtail?" asked James fiercely.

"Nothing, but the Ministry says that You-Know-Who just wants people to believe he's more powerful than he really is," Peter squeaked.

"It's the other way around, Peter. The Ministry is just playing into Voldemort's wishes with them doing what they're doing," said Remus.

Peter nodded jerkily. He clearly wanted to change the conversation.

"Give me the map, James," said Remus. He held out his hand for it, and James complied. "We need a pass code first."

"I got one! _With the help of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, I completely agree to cause mischief whenever and wherever I can, against all Slytherins and any of the Marauder's enemies._" Sirius said with a grin.

"Too long. It needs to be shorter, but other pranksters have to also figure it out with a little help," said Remus.

"How would they get help?" asked James.

"I was thinking that we could put an imprint of ourselves on here, you know, to insult people if they don't have a reason to use this or to help future pranksters if they need this."

"Well, what is one thing a prankster is always?" asked James to the rest of them.

"Fighting Slytherins, annoying Minnie the Mc G, hiding in broom closets with girls..." Sirius said, ticking one thing off at a time on his fingers.

"They are never doing something good," said Peter.

"That's obvious, Wormtail," said Sirius, interrupting his list.

"But that's what we need, Padfoot," James said, saving Peter from further embarrassment that night. "Something most good pranksters would know, but nobody else would have a chance of getting it."

"_I solemnly swear I am up to no good_?" asked Remus.

"That's good, but what would we say to lock it up again."

"_Mischief managed_," said Sirius promptly. "What?" he asked as they all stared at him.

Remus flipped the page of one of the books, and then he raised his wand and performed some sort of complicated weaving motion over the parchment. James jumped up as the castle that he had spent several days completing vanished, leaving the parchment blank.

"Relax, James, just say the password."

James shot Remus a suspicious look but pulled out his own wand.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good." James tapped his wand against the blank parchment. They all gasped except for Remus who looked smug. Starting at the middle of the parchment, little lines curved and twisted all the way to the edge of the page. It was the castle, just as James had drawn it. It showed every single little detail, from the shortcut that James and Sirius had found on their second day to the hidden passageway starting at the Whomping Willow.

"Now you just have to label some things, Moony," said James, handing him the map.

Remus took it, but not before asking, "What should the introduction be?"

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are delighted to show you the...Map?" asked Peter tentatively.

Sirius shook his head. "Too boring. _Messrs. _Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present – nice alliteration there, isn't it – the Map."

"We need a better name than the Map. The Marauders made it, so why not call it the Marauder's Map?"

"So it would be, Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's Map?" asked Remus.

They all nodded at him.

"Got it, I'll finish writing everything on it by the end of the morning. We should get back up to the common room."

Remus flicked his wand, and all the books floated back to their proper place. James withdrew the Invisibility Cloak while Remus cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself since the Cloak could barely cover three of them, let alone four.

* * *

><p>"She's deciding?" asked Marlene as they listened to Professor Burbage plow on about Muggle sayings.<p>

"That's what Macdonald told me," said James. He could see how it was a huge improvement from last year, but he didn't want to think about how would take for Lily to look at him as someone more. "Is it safe to assume that I can call us friends?"

Marlene thought for several seconds. "I would say yes-ish."

"Ish?" asked Sirius.

"Yes, Sirius. _Ish_. She's extremely grateful to your family for helping her, but keep in mind that you did bully her best friend for five years and many other innocent students."

James looked down guiltily. "Does Lily ever forget anything?"

"Not really," said Marlene flatly. "But she does believe that people can change. You were an idiot before, but if you spend some time proving to her that you aren't the same person, she might just agree to be friends. Getting your parents to back her while the Ministry tries to discredit all Muggle-borns is really helping. Keep it up, and in several months you might get lucky."

"Several _months_?" gasped Sirius.

Marlene scowled. "Since you spent five years being the biggest, most arrogant assholes this schools has ever seen, then I would say several months is very generous, Sirius."

"But – but you said that Lily thinks people can change!"

"So I did. It might just take a little bit."

"But Marley-"

"Don't call me Marley."

"_Hem-hem_," Professor Burbage cleared her throat at the arguing Gryffindors. "Ms. McKinnon, would you be so kind as to tell me the Muggle translation of 'the fire's lit, but the cauldron's empty'?"

"Umm," Marlene thought hard. Muggle Studies was one of the hardest subjects for her because there were so many different topics in the class. "The television's on, but everybody's home?"

"Wrong, Ms. McKinnon. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from talking to Mr. Black. The correct translation is, 'The lights are on, but nobody's home'."

Marlene ducked her head as a light pink appeared on her face, and James grinned.

"Is there something you don't want to tell me, you two?"

"Shut it, Potter," snapped Marlene.

"Take that as a yes."

"I said shut it."

* * *

><p>"I give you... the Marauder's Map!" said Remus. He withdrew that blank piece of parchment and handed it to James, who took it with great care.<p>

"It really works?" breathed Peter.

"No, Wormtail, Moony's only yanking your wand," said Sirius sarcastically.

James unfolded it and tapped his wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Like last time, black ink appeared, but it started somewhere near the top.

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present:_

_The Marauder's Map_

James gasped in wonder as the black lines traced the castle, but now markings emerged. James found their dormitory, and inside were four new dots labeled _James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, _and _Peter Pettigrew_.

Sirius cocked his head slightly, but then a large, black dog was in his place. James scratched his ears and looked at the map, but the dot labeled _Sirius Black_ did not disappear. Sirius transformed back into his human self.

"Wormtail, try on the Invisibility Cloak," ordered Sirius. Peter obeyed and swung the silvery cloak over himself, vanishing in thin air, but Peter's dot was still there.

James traced his finger along the corridors. There was a wave of rage when he saw two dots labeled _Lily Evans _and _Terry Abbott_ together in the otherwise deserted Charms corridor, but James swallowed painfully and looked away, Alice's lessons echoing in his head; Lily and Terry would break up soon enough. They just didn't have enough in common, but looking at their dots, James felt that day couldn't come soon enough.

"I've also done a little charm to input each of our personalities on it, so if anybody else tries to read it without the password, the parchment will respond like we would."

"Mischief managed," said James, and the map went blank. Then he got an idea. Smirking, James tapped his wand against the parchment again. "I, Lily Evans, demand you show me what mischief Potter is doing."

All of the other three boys stared at him in confusion before he answered, "I want to know what my map self would say to Evans."

_Mr. Moony sympathizes with Mr. Prongs goals, but would like say that it isn't very Marauder-ly to pretend to be a girl, even if said girl is the object of Mr. Prongs infatuation_

_Mr. Wormtail agrees with Mr. Moony and would like to wish Mr. Prongs the best of luck to seduce the ever-elusive Ms. Evans_

_Mr. Padfoot wishes Mr. Prongs would just do Ms. Evans already, so Mr. Padfoot can enjoy the innuendos he would love to say in front of Mr. Prongs and Ms. Evans and their parents, should Mr. Prongs and Ms. Evans ever be together_

_Mr. Prongs begs himself not to look so stupid in front of his friends but to concentrate on getting Ms. Evans_

James gapped at the shining words.

"Well, I think it is safe to say we've succeeded, my fellow Marauders," Sirius chuckled.

**I said I would update by Sunday, so here is the promised update.**

**As always, I am begging all you readers who have kept with the story to please please please review. I need to know what I need to improve on and what elements you feel I don't have enough of. So _PLEASE_review!**

**Thanks to the people who reviewed last chapter: lynnnnyl, ItDidntMeanForever, twilightstargazer, ClamatiWP, I'mMrRecklessWithACapitalR, and lily617 :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D**

**Your :D Muggle,**

**12-:D-Nerds-On-The-Twelve-Worlds**

**3.6.12**


	57. Hogsmeade Attack I

_Previously on The Sun Still Rises:_

Mr. Moony sympathizes with Mr. Prongs goals, but would like say that it isn't very Marauder-ly to pretend to be a girl, even if said girl is the object of Mr. Prongs infatuation

Mr. Wormtail agrees with Mr. Moony and would like to wish Mr. Prongs the best of luck to seduce the ever-elusive Ms. Evans

Mr. Padfoot wishes Mr. Prongs would just do Ms. Evans already, so Mr. Padfoot can enjoy the innuendos he would love to say in front of Mr. Prongs and Ms. Evans and their parents, should Mr. Prongs and Ms. Evans ever be together

Mr. Prongs begs himself not to look so stupid in front of his friends but to concentrate on getting Ms. Evans

_James gapped at the shining words._

_"Well, I think it is safe to say we've succeeded, my fellow Marauders," Sirius chuckled._

**Hogsmeade Attack I **

"You know," Terry said as he and Lily walked around the Black Lake hand in hand. A thick sheet of ice spread across the surface of the water, marking that it indeed was December and that Christmas was coming up fast. "I've been meaning to ask you if you might like to spend Christmas with me and my family."

Lily looked up with a soft smile. "Terry, I don't want to intrude-"

"You wouldn't be intruding. We've been dating for a year now, and I think it would be perfect for you to meet my parents. Hannah's been talking nonstop about meeting you. It would make her Christmas if you spent it with us."

Lily bit her lip, looking to where Remus and Pettigrew were tickling the giant squid. James and Sirius were mysteriously absent, no doubt planning another prank. She hoped that wherever they were, they would at least be kind enough not to humiliate any of the students.

"I'll have to think about it. Petunia's getting married this spring, and according to my mum, the house has been turned into some sort of Dursley Wedding Headquarters. It won't be like before if I choose to spend Christmas at home."

"Didn't your sister get engaged the summer before fifth year?" Terry asked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I don't know what's she's doing. All I know is that every second since she's had that ring she's either exercising to fit into her wedding dress or planning. They've finally set a date though; Mum forced Petunia to have it during spring vacation so I could come."

"I don't think I want to hear about how your sister reacted," Terry said as the squid knocked Pettigrew down into a snow bank accidentally. Remus, clearly laughing, helped the ruffled and disgruntled Pettigrew to his feet.

"Mum told me all of this through a letter, but I don't know how Petunia reacted, and I have no wish to ever know."

"Maybe we should warm up to the Christmas issue. Let's just start with a nice weekend in Hogsmeade."

"I'm sorry, Terry, but I promised the girls that I would go shopping with them."

"That's fine. When are you free next?"

"Well," Lily said, a flirty smile on her lips, "I was just thinking about how lovely it would be to meet up in that empty classroom near the Arithmancy corridor. Say...eight 'o clock?"

Terry grinned as he leaned down to kiss her one more time. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

><p>"No, no, Alice, Frank would probably like the scarf better," Marlene said as the four girls trailed down the street with the snow covered their hats like fluffy white caps. Lily shivered and wrapped her own scarf tighter, bringing the end of it up to her face so it covered her nose and cheeks. Lily puffed one breath into it and relished the warmth.<p>

"But his favorite color is dark blue, not red," Alice said.

"Is he a Ravenclaw now? Red's for Gryffindor," Marlene said patiently. "Besides, the red one is flashier."

Marlene and Alice continued to argue, and Mary leaned close to Lily, whispering, "Should we just go right now? Alice will take at least another two hours to decide which scarf she should buy for Frank."

"Agreed," Lily said.

Slipping away from the other two, who were both still debating blue or red for Frank's scarf, Lily and Mary soundlessly treaded through the snow. She could barely see the ghostly mountains, usually so blue and beautiful against skyline.

"Am I the only one who finds it weird that the year has just passed so quickly?" Mary said aloud as they passed the outskirts houses circling the village. Mary's voice seemed to echo in the quiet.

"No, you're not the only one," Lily replied, staring at the snow on the ground just in front of her.

"And I can't believe that next year we'll finally be able to attend the New Year's Eve Ball! The Bagnolds are hosting it this year, and I just heard that next year the Potters will host it. Isn't it so-"

"Potter? You mean James Potter's family?" Lily clarified, stopping suddenly. "He's hosting the New Year's Eve Ball?"

Mary nodded. "I just can't wait!"

Mary made a move to continue towards the center of the village, but she stopped when she realized that Lily hadn't moved an inch. "Lily? Lily, what is it?"

Lily held up her hand to silence Mary, and listened as Mary's echo still bounced around in the air. "Do you hear that?" she asked nervously, shivers that had nothing to do with the cold running through her spine.

"Hear what? There's nothing to hear."

"_Shhh! _That's what I meant; there's nothing," Lily whispered, and Mary fell silent, hand inching towards her wand as she too noticed.

It was silent as a tomb. Nothing, not even a light breeze in the wind, could be heard in the air. Even this far away from the village, there had always been at least some sign of life, but not now: now it was as if they were in a ghost town.

Suddenly Mary drew in a long, shuddering gasp from beside her, like she had been doused in freezing cold water, and Lily whipped out her wand, an unusual frigidness biting her exposed skin, and it drove right through her to her very core. There was the feeling of hopelessness heavy in the air, a feeling she had only felt one other time in her life, and Lily knew what was coming before she heard it.

_"Whispers here and there. You certainly have a keen mind for somebody your age. You might be a useful servant to the Dark Lord if you weren't a Mudblood. Tell me, how were you able to figure us out?"_

"Mary? Mary!" Lily yelled in panic as the fog threatened to swallow her whole. It was getting harder and harder to see as the fog descended upon them.

"Lily, watch out!" Mary shouted from ten yards away, pointing at something over her shoulder.

Lily spun on her heel, only to find herself face to face with a Dementor, fully cloaked and hideous. It sucked in a rattling breath, and Lily felt the hope slowly being drained from the air.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" she yelled, conjuring a mental picture of all four of the girls around the cozy fire, and the silver doe burst forth from her wand, charging the Dementor. The Dementor retreated, leaving the air free to breath once again, though Lily couldn't shake the sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Go find the others," Lily ordered. "They're bound to come back, and it'll be more than just one lonely Dementor."

Mary adamantly shook her head from side to side. "It's almost a ten minute walk from here to the town. If more come you'll never be able to hold them off by yourself, and I'll be too far away to help you. I'm staying and fighting."

"But then how are we going to let everybody else know?" Lily asked, and her doe nudged her arm softly. "Two aren't much better than one."

The doe nudged her arm again, and looking at it, Mary's eyes suddenly lit up with what Lily hoped was an idea. "Can your patronus talk?"

Lily stared at her blankly. "_What? _Has somebody slipped you firewhiskey?"

"Think about it! Use your corporeal patronus to send a message. Have it talk as if it were you. Try it."

Lily, still doubtful, looked at her patronus, thinking the first thing that came to mind. "This is crazy," the doe suddenly said, using Lily's voice, and both of the girls jumped a foot in the air from shock. "Hey, what do you know? It works," the doe said after several seconds.

"That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen," Lily said as the doe vanished into thin air.

Mary could barely contain the smug look. "It's good to know that I can still surprise people – _LILY!_"

* * *

><p>"I don't know where they went. Do you know where they went?"<p>

"I don't know. Ask them where they went."

"How should I know where they went? Talk to him."

"Hey! I know as much as you do. I don't know where they are."

"_Somebody_ has to know where they went."

"Don't look at me."

"Or me."

"I want to know where they went."

"What're you looking at me for?"

"I want to know where they went."

"Don't look at me. I don't know where they went."

"Can I say something?"

"NO!" four voices chorused as one, and Peter shrank back from Alice, James, Marlene, and Sirius. Remus interceded before Peter could be humiliated any further.

"Look. Maybe they just went off to do their own Christmas shopping. If I heard you two right, then I don't think it's that hard to imagine why Lily and Mary left," he said placating. "Let's head for Three Broomsticks. They're bound to go there sometime."

"But Sirius and I were going to go to Madam Puddifoot's," Marlene said.

"Where?" Sirius asked with a disgusted expression on his face. "If I'd known that was the place you liked to take dates, then I would have dumped you before I met you."

"It's called sarcasm, Black."

"Oh. I knew that."

"I'm sure you didn't."

James, however, wasn't listening. He had just spotted Remus farther away, pressed up against the side of a building. Though to the normal passerby Remus would have been acting perfectly normal, James knew that there was something wrong.

Silently, James headed towards Remus, his friends' arguments gradually fading in the background. He peered around to see what Remus was looking at. Every person James hated most was there: Mulciber, Avery, Rosier, Wilkes, and Lestrange. And Snape, the greasy-haired git who was doing the exact opposite of what he told Lily.

"Got to use your wolf hearing for something, right, Moony?" James whispered quietly, and Remus jumped slightly. He shook his head slightly and, pointing at the group of Slytherins, mouthed, _this is bad_.

"…all have our orders, Mulciber, or would you like to go against the Dark Lord's wishes?" Snape asked in an oily voice. Mulciber didn't have a reply, and Snape smirked. "That's what I thought."

"Snape, you do realize that we're dealing with something completely different. Do you have any idea how hard it is to control the entire mass? They could easily turn on us," Mulciber said uncertainly.

"Wait. Who – _what _are we talking about?" Rosier asked nobody in particular.

"Which is why they are under the direct control of the Dark Lord," Snape replied in an even voice, ignoring Rosier. James leaned closer, as did Remus. Anything that Snape could talk about like that, James was sure he would hate it.

"He's all given us our orders, and you would be wise to follow them."

"When? And what is the Dark Lord using?"

James could barely see Snape's face, but he did see the ghost of a malicious sneer directed at Rosier. "You'll find out soon enough."

Without another word, Snape left, and the rest of the Slytherins followed him.

Remus fearfully twisted his head to face James. "Prongs, it's sounds like they're planning an attack. We need to let people know."

"But _when_? It won't do-"

"There you two are," Sirius said, striding into view with Marlene by his side, and Peter and Alice were trailing behind a little. He stopped at the James and Remus's expressions. "Look. I can explain: it was the only time Georgia would agree to meet with me. I mean, come on, do you have any idea how _hot _that girl is? It was only one little prank-"

"That's not what we're worried about, Padfoot," James said solemnly, and Sirius critically stared at the two of them.

Alice stepped forward. "Then what?"

James opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment something materialized in the center of their little group and shifted to form a silver shape James had only seen once: Lily's patronus. He whipped around, expecting Lily and Mary to appear right next to them.

After all, why else would Lily's patronus be here?

But James didn't see her and instead focused on the beautiful doe.

The doe looked directly at him, and he felt a tingling in his fingers. She then spoke with Lily's voice: "Death Eaters are attacking. Evacuate everybody and alert Dumbledore. It's like nothing I've ever seen."

**Haha! Evil, little cliffie :D**

**I managed to get the first part of Hogsmeade Attack up, and hopefully the second part will be up by the end of the weekend. With cliffies I like to wait a couple of days to let it sink in :) I'm evil enough to do that, but I'm nice enough to get the next chappie up asap.**

**So as always, let me know what you think. (Lots of nice, long reviews might motivate me to update faster. *wink, wink, hint, hint, nudge, nudge*) I'll still update soon, but I like to give you guys a little incentive to review. After all, it's disheartening to see over 300 visitors to the last chapter, but I only got 11 reviews. Actually, if I get enough long reviews, I might be nice and work extra hard to get ALL parts of Hogsmeade Attack up by the weekend.**

**So on that note, I would like to thank my reviewers: alcatluvr13, cflat, lily617, Smileyface Devil, I'mMrRecklessWithACapitalR, twilightstargazer, ItDidntMeanForever, lynnnnyl, Sarahrules336, Covered in Bruises, and ClamatiWP! 11 reviews! LOVE ALL OF YOU SO MUCH! :D**

**Your cliffie Muggle,**

**The-12-Nerds-Had-Very-Geeky-Moments**


	58. Hogsmeade Attack II

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_James opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment something materialized in the center of their little group and shifted to form a silver shape James had only seen once: Lily's patronus. He whipped around, expecting Lily and Mary to appear right next to them._

_After all, why else would Lily's patronus be here?_

_But James didn't see her and instead focused on the beautiful doe._

_The doe looked directly at him, and he felt a tingling in his fingers. She then spoke with Lily's voice: "Death Eaters are attacking. Evacuate everybody and alert Dumbledore. It's like nothing I've ever seen."_

**Hogsmeade Attack II**

"Run, Mary! _RUN!_" Lily screamed, slashing her wand in a wide arc, and the inferus that was closest was cut open, the long gash running from the top of its left shoulder all the way to the right hip. She jabbed her wand at one that was also too close for comfort. It jerked and flew backwards through the air like an invisible rope had lassoed it and ripped it from touching distance of Lily and Mary.

It was the worst thing Lily had ever witnessed: at least three hundred inferi were crowding the streets, moving slowly but surely towards the center of town, and the two Gryffindor girls were the only people between the villagers and a mass of horrible corpses.

One reached for Lily, but Mary sent a Stinging Hex at an inferus so small that it must have been a child when it died. Lily wanted nothing more than to twist the neck of whatever monster had seen fit to reanimate a child – _a child_!

However, it was now nothing but an empty shell, with glowing, blank orbs that contained no emotion and dead-looking skin. Lily watched as the tiny body fell down.

"There's too many!" Mary yelled, sending a nasty-looking curse at a very large one. She blasted the large one backwards right on another, but more just kept coming, an unstoppable force marching through the innocent streets of Hogsmeade.

"_Lacarnum Inflamarae!_" Mary cried, a thin stream of fire issuing from the tip of her wand. It circled the nearest group of inferi, and they blindly bumped into each other in their desperate haste to escape the flames.

"Just run. We need to get out of here, get some more people to fight… holy…" Lily trailed off, facing the oncoming army of inferi. She could see the entirety of the undead mob trudging towards the center of the village; it stretched back at least five streets, and more kept coming.

"Merlin," Mary breathed softly.

"_Incendio Maxima!_" Lily yelled, and a wall of flames erupted in front of them, cutting the inferi off from the rest of the village. The sudden blast of heat blew Lily's hair back a little. "That should hold them off for a little while," Lily said. "Run."

* * *

><p>"What do we do? Prongs, <em>what do we do<em>!" Peter squealed after Lily's patronus vanished into thin air.

"Peter, get Dumbledore. Sirius, Marlene, and I will help Lily and Mary. Remus and Alice – get everybody out of here and try to find some people willing to fight," James ordered in a voice that left no room for argument, and the other five stared at him for a moment.

Remus and Alice were the first to leap into action; they sprinted to the building closest to them, the Three Broomsticks while Peter scurried to Honeydukes. Marlene was about to question what Peter was doing, but Sirius leaned close to her and whispered, "Marauder's secret, McKinnon. Don't ask."

"How are we supposed to find Lily and Mary?" Marlene asked James.

"I assume that our dear Flower and young Macdonald would either be the cause or target for that fire _waaaayyyy _over there," Sirius said, pointing to thick, dark grey cloud of smoke trailing into the blue sky farther away. James craned his head and could barely make out the blurry orange line of the fire.

"Come on," James said.

* * *

><p><em>Bang!<em>

Remus's firecrackers instantly silenced the Three Broomsticks; several people looked a little angry that a Marauder interrupted them, and a couple who looked like they were an inch away from kissing glowered at Remus.

Alice jumped up onto the nearest table so that people were able to see her more clearly. She wasted no time in alerting people of the problem.

"Listen up!" she yelled. "Death Eaters are attacking Hogsmeade, and we need everybody doesn't want to fight to get out of the village right now. Anybody who can fight, please do!"

There were several seconds of quiet before pandemonium broke out. Many students and other people were running around, terrified. They all rushed out of the door, pushing and shoving to reach the exit.

While they were escaping Alice hopped down from the table and joined Remus in the center of the room.

"You certainly know how to clear out a room," Remus acknowledged.

"Alice!" Frank yelled, running for the two. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, but Lily and Mary are in trouble," Alice responded.

"If you two can clear out the rest of the shops, we can help the others," Max Cringle said, appearing at Frank's side. Alice spotted three boys and two girls behind them: Nathan Gibbs, Teresa Brown, and three other people Alice didn't know that well, though she thought that one of the boys was named Harper Ferris, seventh year Gryffindor prefect.

"That's great," Alice said.

"Where are the Death Eaters?" Amelia Bones was at their side, but she didn't have her Head Girl badge on at the moment.

"At the edge of the village," Remus said, pointing in the general direction while Alice looked around to see who had decided to stay and fight.

Along with some of the seventh year Gryffindors and Amelia, the Smith twins were there along with Dorcas and her boyfriend. Dawn Vasquez was also there and another seventh year boy from Ravenclaw. Several younger students had decided to fight: six Gryffindors, five Hufflepuffs, and three Ravenclaws, some of them no older than fourth year.

"Then what are we standing here for?" Teresa demanded. "Let's go get some Death Eaters."

* * *

><p>"Is this it?" Mary said, voice dripping heavy with sarcasm for every syllable. She expertly maneuvered from an inferus's grasp cast a simple Knockback Jinx, and then she continued to run.<p>

Lily didn't answer. She was too busy evading the inferi; she had always thought that inferi were like Muggle zombies, slow and mindless. She was wrong on both counts: they moved with just as much speed as normal humans, and the only reason they hadn't caught up with her and Mary was because the two girls had had a head start.

And it was quickly disappearing.

"_Confrigo!_" Lily yelled, and Mary followed soon afterwards with another Blasting Curse. It had started to become a routine: run, Blasting Curse, run, Blasting Curse, and run some more.

"_EXPLUSO!_" a voice screamed. Lily barely had time to think before the force of the explosion violently threw her through the air, and she landed flat on her back, the hated sensation of getting the wind knocked out of her briefly but forcefully rendering her paralyzed.

Mary flew past Lily, but she barely had time to think about that before somebody, a man, pressed his boot into Lily's chest, making it impossible to breath. The tip of his wand pressed into her cheek, and Lily fell silent.

There was the sound of roaring flames, and Lily noticed that a much bigger flaming barrier separated her from the inferi. There were several loud _cracks! _People in black cloaks were Apparating into the village, and Lily dragged her gaze back to the man standing over her.

"We meet again, little girl," Francis Manumali snarled.

* * *

><p>"Watch out!" Marlene yelled in warning, and James barely ducked as a streak of what looked like black fire sailed through the air where he had been one second before.<p>

Sirius retaliated quickly with a Stunning Spell, but James's surprise attacker easily deflected it. Death Eaters Apparated into the village, and James counted at least thirty, probably more. He grabbed Marlene and pushed her down while a Death Eater shot a Conjunctivus Curse at her.

"_Impedimenta!_" Marlene yelled, and she hit the Death Eater square in the chest. "Lily and Mary aren't the only ones who need help."

"What are you talking about, Marley? We can take – thirty? No, about forty Death Eaters," Sirius said breathlessly, but he still managed to grin like there wasn't a care in the world.

"Don't call me Marley," Marlene growled.

"Then don't doubt my abilities," Sirius said.

"Um, am I the only one who sees the Death Eaters surrounding us?" James asked as he sent a neat jinx at the nearest Death Eater who started sneezing violently.

"I can still see, Prongs. Why are so many people doubting my awesome abilities today – _Everte Statum!_" Sirius said, and three more Death Eaters flew back into a pile of stacked boxes with a sickening _crunch! _James, Sirius, and Marlene had formed a tightly knit circle, each with their backs to each other, facing the Death Eaters.

"Any last words, comrades?" Sirius asked matter-of-factly as if he were asking them what their favorite color was. The Death Eaters circled closer, but James sent a silent Cascading Jinx towards some, defeating at least seven at once.

"Mine?" Marlene asked. "How about I tell you them when I actually die?" She fiercely shot a Boil Hex at an incredibly tall Death Eater, and he roared in pain as boils erupted all over his skin. James could just see a couple of fifth years composed of both Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs fighting their own group of Death Eaters farther away.

"Sounds great," Sirius said, and suddenly James heard many more large cracks of people Apparating. They were doomed now; there would be too many Death Eaters for them to fight.

* * *

><p>"Dorcas! To your left!" Remus yelled, and Dorcas simultaneously ducked and jabbed her wand to her left, and the unfortunate Death Eater went flying.<p>

"_Imperio!_" somebody yelled, and Alice bent over backwards gracefully as the jet of white energy soared harmlessly over her head; Alice quickly retaliated with a well-placed Impediment Jinx, and her attacker froze.

"_Expluso!_" Remus shouted, waving his wand at the crate that the more cowardly Death Eaters were hiding behind, and the crate exploded with the force of a raging manticore. The crate was now nothing more than a few bits of wood, and the Death Eaters ran the moment their hiding place was destroyed.

"Remus!" Teresa yelled, but her warning was too late, and Remus got hit with a powerful Clubbing Curse, and he felt like a Yeti had taken a troll's club and walloped him squarely in the stomach with it.

"_Pertrificus Totalus!_" Teresa cried, and her Body-Bind Curse hit the responsible Death Eater. Teresa swiftly swooped down next to Remus. "Are you okay? That looked like it hurt."

"No. Really?" Alice asked sarcastically from by their side. "Behind you, Teresa! Remus, duck!"

* * *

><p>James readied himself for the new arrivals, but before he could think the spell, the nearest person shot blue fire at several Death Eaters.<p>

"Come on, you snivelly, little cowards! Hit me with your best shot!" the man taunted the closest Death Eaters, and no less than six Stunners were sent his way. He deflected them as easily as breathing.

"Sturgis, focus!" a woman reprimanded him as she knocked out three other Death Eaters with one spell.

James started as he realized that the man nearest to him was Sturgis Podmore, and the woman was Emmeline Vance, one of Lily's old friends. He felt relief as he realized that they were now not alone. Somehow Peter must've alerted Dumbledore, and he had sent reinforcements. About three-fourths of the people had Auror robes on, but some like Sturgis and Emmeline were dressed just like James.

The Death Eaters started to fall back as they realized that the numbers were much more evenly matched, now only about one to three instead of one to fifteen. Four Aurors created a force field that defeated ten Death Eaters at once.

Somebody else had grabbed James and forced him to avoid a nasty-looking hex that come so close to him that it ruffled his hair. James turned to thank his savior and was shocked by the person crouching beside him.

"Professor Rawlings?" James said, dumbfounded.

Rawlings, who had the unhealthy look of somebody who had lost about half of her body weight in a short amount of time, smiled at him, but there was no smile that reached her tired eyes. Her cheekbones stood out sharply on her pale skin, and a line of blotchy scars ran all the way around her neck. Simply put: she looked like hell.

"James, I haven't been your professor since you were a third year," Rawlings said. "Don't you think you can call me Sage. Or even Rawlings would do."

Sirius wolf-whistled behind them. "You know, when I was younger, I didn't really appreciate women older then I was, but _Merlin _Sage – what, Prongs? She's only twenty-three."

"I thought you were sixteen, Sirius," Rawlings asked, deflecting several hexes with a flick of her wand.

"Had my birthday a couple weeks ago."

Rawlings rolled her eyes. "Back to – wait. Where are Remus, Alice, Lily, and Mary?" she asked twisting her neck around, throwing her scars into deep relief.

"Remus and Alice are clearing everybody out of the village. We're trying to find Lily and Mary," James answered.

Rawlings nodded. "Sirius, James and I can fight the Death Eaters. I want you to go find Lily and Mary."

Sirius hesitated. "I can fight, Sage."

"I know, but you need to find Lily and Mary. This isn't the time to argue," Rawlings ordered, and Sirius paused one more second before nodding and running off to the direction of the smoke.

* * *

><p>"<em>CRUCIO!<em>" Manumali roared, and Lily was still too stunned to move aside.

She could only feel the dread for half a second before Manumali's Cruciatus Curse hit her. It felt like Manumali had injected her with scalding liquid fire, and it coursed through her veins, burning her from the inside out. She screamed from the blaze furiously attacked her; it was the worse than the worst pain in the world. If only it would stop...

"... LILY! LILY!" Mary yelled as Manumali removed his curse, and Lily was left gasping for air. "Stop it, please!" Mary pleaded Manumali, tears streaming down her face. "Don't hurt her; I'm begging you. _PLEASE!_"

Manumali just sneered at Mary before Lily was consumed by the fire yet again. She arched her back, desperate to escape the white-hot knives piercing and ripping every inch of her body, drowning her in searing acid.

"NO! Don't hurt her!" Mary jabbed her elbow into the Death Eater, sprinting for Lily, but the Death Eater seized her around the middle and smashed her head into the side of a building. Mary went limp immediately and fell onto the soft, white snow where she lay, unmoving.

Lily let out a strangled cry, but she was too weak to move, and Manumali faced her again.

"What do you want?" Lily gasped, and Manumali leaned so close their noses were almost touching. She could do nothing but lay there, at the complete mercy of Manumali.

"Our own little prophet Shiloh has told me some things, like how you'll be the reason the Dark Lord dies," Manumali gently pushed a lock of hair from Lily's face so she could see him full-on. A chilling grin slowly spread across Manumali's face.

"How can I kill somebody like Voldemort?" Lily murmured, too weak to even move her lips.

"I don't know, but you see: I can't take any chances when my master is concerned, Mudblood. You shouldn't have even lived this long. _AVADA KEDAVRA!_"

**I've cured any suspense from the previous chapter's cliffhanger only to give you a bigger one! Hahahahahaha! I'm so evil...**

**Before any of you say that this chapter is bouncing around too much, I wanted it to have the hectic feeling, going from some characters to the next group and back quickly. I just thought that kind of style fit well with this chapter.**

**I've also thought that a fight for Mary to show off her magical skills was long overdue. I don't think I've really done Mary justice in that department, so I let Mary have her little glory. Though of couse Manumali had to ruin it :(**

**So tell me what you think. You've gotten some more clues to who Shiloh is this chapter, and Rawlings, Sturgis, Emmeline, and Manumali are all back in this chapter. Plus I introduced the inferi (for the last part, the Death Eaters are containing them until they're all done there. In case any of you were wondering.) Please REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

**Thanks to lynnnnyl, lily617, juuustpeachy, and twilightstargazer for the reviews! Love you guys so much!**

**Your super evil Muggle,**

**Super-Evil-Nerds-Vs-The-12-Worlds**


	59. Hogsmeade Attack III

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_"What do you want?" Lily gasped, and Manumali leaned so close their noses were almost touching. She could do nothing but lay there, at the complete mercy of Manumali._

_"Our own little prophet Shiloh has told me some things, like how you'll be the reason the Dark Lord dies," Manumali gently pushed a lock of hair from Lily's face so she could see him full-on. A chilling grin slowly spread across Manumali's face._

_"How can I kill somebody like Voldemort?" Lily murmured, too weak to even move her lips._

_"I don't know, but you see: I can't take any chances when my master is concerned, Mudblood. You shouldn't have even lived this long. AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

**Hogsmeade Attack III**

The dazzling flash of green light blinded her, and Lily couldn't think of anything but her own imminent death as the Killing Curse sailed right for her. She closed her eyes, only hear the unmistakable hiss of the curse striking the ground right next to her head.

Lily groaned and rolled onto her side.

Sirius had body-checked Manumali just in time, causing him to miss Lily. The two were now rolling around on the snow, Manumali trying to aim his wand at him while Sirius resorted to a thoroughly non-magic plan of attack.

"Don't – you – _ever _– try – to – kill – Evans – again!" Sirius punctuated each word with a vicious blow to Manumali's face.

"Kill him! Kill him!" Manumali screamed, but nobody tried at all to stop Sirius. Lily craned her neck to see that all of Manumali's henchmen were Disappaparating. She was confused only for a half of a second before somebody grabbed her around the middle and yanked her into the air.

Lily thrashed violently, but the iron grip held her in place: the grip of an inferus. Frantic, she reached for her wand, but it was on the ground several feet away. Lily desperately lunged for it, but the inferus started marching away from the village and from her only defense.

"_Pertrificus Totalus!_" Sirius yelled, aiming for the inferus restraining Lily, and Lily dropped to the snow. She ignored the sting of something cutting her knee as she landed on all fours, and Lily scrambled for her wand.

Manumali had distracted Sirius again, and another inferus clung to her ankle. Lily clawed the snow, but the inferus dragged her farther away. Lily glanced over her shoulder before solidly kicking the inferus in the face. No blood squirted from its nose, but Lily's kick did give her the needed distraction.

She sprinted for the wand and snatched it from the snow; she didn't even notice the iciness of the snow freeze her fingers. Most of the inferi were within touching distance now.

"_CONFRIGO!_" Lily bellowed, and the powerful blast from her wand, intensified from her nerve-racking fear, exploded with so much force that everybody within fifteen yards rocketed backwards, including Sirius and Manumali.

"Sirius!" Lily yelled, running for the man.

Sirius groaned and unsteadily got to his feet. "Nice little trick, Lily-Flower – _Stupefy!_" he yelled, but Manumali dodged the Stunner and reached for something lying in the snow.

"MARY!" Lily screamed, sprinting for the unconscious girl, but Manumali got there first. With a nasty grin, he Disapparated with a small _pop_, disappearing along with the girl.

"No! _**NO**!_" Lily screeched, running for the spot where Mary and Manumali had been there only moments before.

Sirius held her back with hardly any effort, and Lily started pummeling him instead. "Ow – Evans – what the hell?"

"Let me go!" she yelled. "She's my friend! LET ME GO!"

"_Lily_!" Sirius roared, pinning her arms to her side, and his sudden fury shocked her into silence. He had never called her Lily. It was always Evans or Flower or some other irritating name, but it was never Lily. "Listen to me! We need to run."

And Lily lost any and all rational thoughts that she might have still possessed. "I AM NOT RUNNING, SIRIUS BLACK! YOU LET ME GO THIS INSTANT! MARY IS MY FRIEND, AND IF YOU DON'T LET ME GO, SO HELP ME MERLIN, I WILL CURSE YOU SO-"

"The inferi are right there," Sirius shouted, pointing to the stirring bodies; some were already on their feet. "I will drag you by the ear if I have to, but we need to go. We won't be much help to Mary if we're dead."

An inferus chucked a discarded piece of wood at Lily, clearing her mind; she gulped, remembering the army of inferi ten feet away from them.

"Run," Sirius ordered, and Lily obeyed for once.

* * *

><p>Almost every single Death Eater was gone now, the cowards had fled when the Aurors had showed up, but instead of relief, Rawlings was ushering James away from the village as quickly as possible.<p>

"What's going on?" James asked. Rawlings didn't answer. Instead she seized James by the arm and turned on the spot. He felt the horrible sensation of being sucked into a vacuum, and before he knew it, he was standing on the road that the carriages traveled on to get to Hogwarts.

James looked around at the mob of students running up to the castle, desperate to get behind the safety of the Hogwarts walls. It would be nearly impossible to move against the crowd, so James and Rawlings let the students carry them to the Entrance Hall.

The moment they were inside, a tall man strode right up to them and peered at Rawlings.

"Where's Sirius?" James blurted out. "Where are Lily and Mary?"

"All students are now in their common rooms, and any who fought are confined to the Hospital Wing until further notice."

"Who's in charge?" Rawlings asked, and the man grunted.

"Professor Dumbledore is with the Hogwarts staff, but some high people in the Ministry are questioning some students in the Hospital Wing."

"They're questioning them?" Rawlings repeated. "Did they even give them a chance to recover?"

The man shook his head, and Rawlings faced James.

"Let's go to the Hospital Wing, James. You're bleeding, and I need to talk with some people."

"Where are my fri-"

"They're most likely in the Hospital Wing," Rawlings said. "Let's go."

James had no choice but to follow her.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry I hit you," Lily whispered, peeking out of the window where she and Sirius were hiding in the attic of Dervish and Bangs. Inferi circled them in every direction, and it was only a matter of time before they were discovered. "And I'm sorry I yelled at you."<p>

"Can't you just send your patronus to our friends and get us out of here?" Sirius asked for the millionth time. "That way I would have time to get over the decades of suffering your words will put me through."

Lily laughed softly. "I've tried, but I can't think of a single happy thought right now. Besides, we would only be leading them to their deaths if they knew we're still here."

"But how are we going to let them know about Macdonald?" Sirius whispered. He lifted himself from the crouch he was in to peer into the streets below them then quickly dropped down on the floor before any inferi could see him.

Lily bit her lip. "I honestly don't know. I can't stop thinking about what they be doing to her," she admitted, her voice catching. Lily blinked back tears, but Sirius had seen them.

"Hope that she's still unconscious," Sirius said, and Lily nodded. "Besides, she'll be fine."

Lily looked at him doubtfully. "How can you be so sure?"

"Mary never lets anybody push her around, even if it's old Voldy himself. She'll probably tell them that if they kill her, she'll be sure to tell the man at the – grey gates? The guy's name is Pete or something like that."

"I think you mean Pearly Gates."

"Yes, she'll tell the dude called Pete at the Pearly Gates not to let them through; she said that to me once. I'm assuming that's a bad thing."

Lily shook her head, exasperated. "His name is Saint Peter, Black; I'm not going to try to explain any Muggle religions to you."

"You know, since we're going to be dead soon anyways, maybe we should call each other by our first names," Sirius said from out of the blue.

At his suggestion, Lily couldn't decide if he was joking or not. She looked at him curiously before saying, "Might as well, Sirius."

* * *

><p>Sage guided James through the doors of the Hospital Wing, and he entered. She doubted that he even knew how bad he looked: cuts and scrapes all over his face and hands, and there was a shallow gash on his shoulder, soaking his shirt with blood, but Sage doubted he could feel it.<p>

James complied, entering the Hospital Wing, and Sage inhaled deeply, facing a small group of people in pristine cloaks and fancy hats standing just outside the Hospital Wing's doors.

She should have felt severely underdressed, her Muggle clothes dirty and torn, but Sage didn't feel anything but anger and dislike at the Ministry officials discussing something in a low voice. After all, they saw fit to sit behind a spotless desk, assistants getting them beverages and anything else their cold hearts desired while she was out there risking her life to stop the person the Ministry was seeing fit to ignore.

"Ms. Rawlings," a stiff voice acknowledged.

Sage forced a smile on her dirt-streaked face. "Mr. Crouch," she said in the same stiff tone, and Crouch narrowed his eyes at her but said nothing.

"Can we help you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you can. Albus said that in order to get rid of the inferi-"

"We already have something planned," Crouch said curtly, and Sage's eyes widened with surprise.

"What?"

"You are not cleared to hear the Ministry's plans," somebody else said.

Sage's anger flared. "Cornelius Fudge, right? You're the older cousin of Geoffrey Fudge?"

"How do you-" Fudge started, but Sage ignored him.

"Unlike you, I actually pay attention to the people I'm in charge of, Cornelius," Sage snapped, and Fudge looked flustered and angry at her snide comment, but she was unperturbed. He was only a mindless Ministry employee after all. "While I may no longer have clearance, I can tell you right now that Albus will be down here very soon. You're messing around with his students, and I have yet to see one person mess with Albus's students and walk away the winner."

Fudge looked uncomfortable. "This does not concern-"

"Don't give me that, Fudge. It concerned me the moment I put my life on the line for a fight that many people have died in because of your ignorance and desperation to cling to the power you still retain."

Fudge looked like he had been slapped in the face, and Sage crossed her arms and glared at him. "Is your next excuse going to be that I'm too young?"

"It's not like you can stop it, Ms. Rawlings," Crouch said, and he was getting angrier by the minute at Sage's obvious but well-placed disrespect. "Direct orders from the Minister himself, and I already have several wizards at Hogsmeade to deal with it."

"How are you going to deal with it?" Sage asked, a trickle of fear seeping into her mind. She had learned the hard way never to trust an idiot in the position of power.

"Don't try to stop it, Rawlings. You won't like the consequences," Crouch snarled.

* * *

><p>"I've never thought I would die this young," Lily said quietly as one inferus dumped out a barrel of Butterbeer in search for more humans. The sounds of the undead destroying the beloved village filled the streets below.<p>

"I don't think anybody ever does," Sirius responded solemnly.

"I know, but I always thought I would die for a purpose."

He stared at her curiously. "I don't get it," Sirius said after several seconds of silence. "You're fighting Voldemort. Isn't that enough of a purpose?"

Lily stared out the window at the crystal blue sky; the sky that taunted her with the glimpse of freedom while she was trapped below with no way out. "I've always known there was a chance that I would die because of Voldemort, but I had hoped that my death would make a difference. What about you?"

Sirius sighed and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes peacefully. "Lily, since we have about five minutes before they discover us, I think we should tell each other something that we would never say any other time." Lily knew he was dodging the question, but she couldn't blame him, though his choice of topic left room for debate.

"Sirius..."

"We'll be dead soon anyways, Flower. Now tell me something that you have never _ever _told anybody."

Lily looked at the completely serious Sirius for a moment. She had to admit: that was tempting. She had never thought of Sirius Black as somebody she could talk to, but he was right that they would be dead soon anyways – might as well.

The one thing she had _never _told anybody, not even Snape or Alice or her parents.

"I... I'm scared of change," Lily said finally, and Sirius did a double take.

"You're scared of change," he repeated dumbly.

Lily nodded. "My entire life was always changing. Nothing has remained the same. I don't have a constant; the only time of my life that I was ever sure of anything was before I found out I was a witch, and the memories are slowly disappearing," Lily said, and she then said to Sirius, "Now what's your secret?"

Sirius leaned back thoughtfully. "I'm always hoping that my brother will see the error in his ways."

"Your brother? Who's your brother?"

"You know him – Regulus Black. He's a fifth year Slytherin." Sirius didn't meet Lily's eyes as he said this, instead choosing to stare at his hands.

Lily scooted closer to Sirius and placed her hand on his arm. Sirius lifted his head, and Lily was surprised to see his stormy grey eyes sad; it was an expression Lily never expected to see on his face. "People can surprise you, Sirius," she said gently. "Everybody always says that anybody can turn bad, but it can go the opposite way as well. You never know the good that people are capable of."

"It's hard to imagine him doing good when he's surrounding himself with people like Mulciber and Avery. He's going to get himself killed if he continues down that path."

Lily shrugged. "Well, Sirius Black, is there anything _you_ want to do with your last minutes alive?"

"Well, you see Solara Deles – that super hot Ravenclaw – never really got that far with me, and I would really like to-"

"Sirius, you know what I mean," Lily said, annoyed.

Sirius smirked. "I think I know what to do."

"If it means snogging somebody, then count me out."

"No, no, no. I'm not that stupid; Prongs would kill me after I'm dead. I meant that if we aren't going to die for a purpose, then we might as well die for a reason."

"I'm not sure I follow you."

"The reason is that we would die fighting Voldemort," Sirius said, looking at Lily as if waiting for her to connect the dots.

Lily's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh." She glanced out the window, weighting her opportunities. Stoughton had once told her that it was braver to fight another day. There wasn't going to be another day for her, yet here she was, hiding in an attic like a coward, waiting for help that wouldn't come.

Sheer, raw determination filled her: if she was going to die, she was going to take out as many inferi with her as she could. "I'm in, Sirius."

Grinning, Sirius rose to his feet and helped Lily up. "Lily Evans, it has been my pleasure to tease you for the past six years. You have been a wonderful rival."

Lily laughed. "Ditto. Ready?"

"As much as I'll ever be," Sirius said.

Lily looked out the window to the inferi below; so she was really jumping to her death. Steeling herself, she said, "One..."

"Two..." Sirius counted.

"THREE!" Lily yelled the last word, and together they jumped out of the window and straight into the mass of inferi below.

* * *

><p>"Prongs!" Remus said the moment James walked through the door. "There you are!" Remus hurried towards him with Peter right behind. Marlene was standing next to a bed with Alice laying down in it.<p>

James looked around. Almost all the beds were occupied; in one corner was the older group of Ravenclaws that had helped fight the Death Eaters. Some Hufflepuffs, including Amelia Bones and Lily's boyfriend, Terry, crowded around a fifth year boy whimpering in pain.

"What happened to you?" James asked.

Alice grimaced. "Sprained ankle. Madam Pomfrey fixed it up in no time, but she's still confining me to the bed for the night."

James nodded and turned to Peter. "You alerted Dumbledore just in the nick of time, Wormtail." Peter beamed at the praise, but something else nagged the back of James's mind when he glanced at the people in the Hospital Wing.

"Where are Padfoot, Lily, and Mary?" James asked, looking around for them.

Alice paled instantly. "You mean they didn't come back with you?"

James swallowed, and it felt like trying to force down a spoonful of cinnamon without water. "Padfoot went to get Lily and Mary..." James trailed off, the impossible possibility paralyzing him with fear.

"Padfoot, Lily, and Mary can handle themselves," Remus said, but it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than James.

"Maybe they're still in Hogsmeade," Peter suggested.

"Yes," Alice said in a dead voice, fear for her best friends clouding her usually bright, excited eyes. "Hogsmeade, the place where at least three hundred inferi are currently ravaging everything in their path."

"Maybe-" Remus said, but he broke off at the sound of arguing voices echoed from behind the doors of the Hospital Wing. James knew that one of the screaming voices was Rawlings. By the sound of it, she was scared, and anything that managed to scare Rawlings was not something he wanted to know about.

"What's that?" Peter asked blankly.

James ignored him, instead walking quietly towards the door. He was going to try to eavesdrop, but just then Rawlings's voice reached a volume he had previously thought only Lily could achieve, and the need for eavesdropping vanished.

"YOU CAN'T JUST BURN DOWN AN ENTIRE VILLAGE, FUDGE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT AN ACTION LIKE THAT WILL RESULT IN? YOU'LL BE DESTROYING SO MANY PEOPLE'S LIVES!"

A man's voice responded, with less noise but still plenty loud. "My dear Sage, there's no other way to get rid of the inferi-"

"YES, THERE IS, YOU MORON! IF YOU WOULD JUST GET OFF YOUR HIGH HIPPOGRIFF THEN YOU WOULD REALIZE THAT!" Rawlings shouted, and James opened the doors to see Rawlings, her short but compact frame right up in the face of a man James took to be Fudge.

"It is the most effective way – what are you doing here, boy?" Fudge demanded, and James disliked him already. Boy?

"I came to talk to Rawlings," James answered coolly. He turned to her, the fear returning to his voice. "Padfoot, Lily, and Mary are still in the village. We need to get them."

Rawlings was completely stunned. "I thought they were in the Hospital Wing. Their still in Hogsmeade – Mr. Crouch, you need to call off your people _right now_," Rawlings said frantically, but Crouch drew himself up to his full height.

"Three for three hundred, Rawlings. I'm willing to do that."

"You don't understand, Mr. Crouch-"

"What? You treat him with respect, but you treat me-" Fudge interrupted Rawlings.

"With disdain because an idiot like you deserves it," Rawlings finished. "Please, Mr. Crouch. They're teenagers. Call off your men."

It took James a moment to piece together what they were saying: Crouch was willing to kill Sirius, Mary, and Lily if that meant that the inferi would die as well.

"You're going to just kill them?" James asked, his voice deadly quiet, and a terror unlike any he had ever experienced gripped him, chilling him to the bone as Crouch did nothing to refute his statement. Sirius, his best friend, one of the few people he trusted, would be dead in five minutes, along with Mary and Lily. Lily...

"I am sure anybody would do the same thing in my place. I do not expect a boy like you to understand."

"NO! Please, Crouch, I'm begging you. Don't do this," Rawlings pleaded, and James stared at Crouch, hate obliterating any other thoughts from his mind. His friends were going to die because of the man standing in front of him.

"It's for a good cause," Crouch said, and he started to walk away, but Rawlings had used up any politeness, and there was now a hard, cold fury etched into her face.

"FIENDFYRE IS NEVER FOR A GOOD CAUSE!" Rawlings screamed, but Crouch ignored both her and James.

* * *

><p>It was only the two of them, Sirius and Lily, and she had to admit that Sirius certainly did make her last moments bearable.<p>

"Sirius, behind you – _Expluso!_" Lily cried, blasting back the inferi that had been standing right behind Sirius.

"_Deprimo!_" Sirius yelled, and the sickening sound of a thousand bones breaking echoed all around the street as immense pressure squeezed ten inferi at once; they collapsed, unable to move with their shattered legs.

One inferus managed to grab Lily around the throat, but she choked out, "_Defodio,_" and the arms of the inferus were slashed off, falling to the ground. The inferus then moved to rip Lily apart with its teeth, but she jabbed her wand at it, and the inferus violently rocketed backwards.

Though she and Sirius had the upper hand at the moment, Lily knew that it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the army.

"Haha! Take that! And _that!_" Sirius yelled triumphantly, waving his wand in a complicated way, and three inferi sank, the ground swallowing them whole. "_Raaarrr!_" Sirius had meant it as a joke, but instantly all of the inferi starting going crazy, bumping into each other, and one knocked Lily off her feet.

Gasping, Lily struggled to sit up while the inferi shook the ground. She looked up, and felt her heart drop to her stomach: there was an enormous wall of blazing flames descending on them.

**Whoo-hoo! We got past 200 reviews. YAY!**

**While you may want to Avada Kedavra me, kick the computer, scream bloody basilisk, grind your teeth so hard they fall out, do two or three or all of those things for the third cliffhanger in a row, I will say this: I deserve it for torturing you lovely readers. While it isn't as big of a cliffhanger like last chappie, it's still a cliffhanger. I PROMISE that for the next chapter I will give you a bit of a break, though I can't say that there won't be any more cliffhangers for the rest of the story.**

**As always, let me know what you think. I thought that it might be nice for Sirius and Lily do have some bonding, and now they know something about each other that nobody else knows though this will _NOT_be a Sirius/Lily story in case any of you were wondering. I am thoroughly Lily/James all the way. **

**Poor Mary :( You'll see how that plays out in the next couple of chapters :)**

**I think one of the next two chapters will satisfy all of you and make up for the cliffhangers because it is about something that I've been putting off for half the story so far :) Stay tuned to find out what it is!**

**I would like to thank my reviewers for the reviews and the constructive criticism: I'mMrRecklessWithACapitalR, twilightstargazer, lily617, ItDidntMeanForever, juuustpeachy, Sarahrules336, and alcatluvr13. Thanks so much! I really do appreciate the constructive criticism, so if you think something could be improved, don't hesitate to tell me!**

**Your super-DUPER evil Muggle,**

**1-Of-The-12-Nerds-Just-Got-A-Whole-Lot-More-Evil**


	60. The Woman in the Mirror

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_One inferus managed to grab Lily around the throat, but she choked out, "Defodio," and the arms of the inferus were slashed off, falling to the ground. The inferus then moved to rip Lily apart with its teeth, but she jabbed her wand at it, and the inferus violently rocketed backwards._

_Though she and Sirius had the upper hand at the moment, Lily knew that it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the army._

_"Haha! Take that! And that!" Sirius yelled triumphantly, waving his wand in a complicated way, and three inferi sank, the ground swallowing them whole. "Raaarrr!" Sirius had meant it as a joke, but instantly all of the inferi starting going crazy, bumping into each other, and one knocked Lily off her feet._

_Gasping, Lily struggled to sit up while the inferi shook the ground. She looked up, and felt her heart drop to her stomach: there was an enormous wall of blazing flames descending on them._

**The Woman in the Mirror**

Fear gripped Lily; it wasn't normal fire. The flames changed shapes from chimeras to winged horses to manticores, all chasing towards them, intent on only one purpose: to destroy everything in their path.

"Fiendfyre," Sirius breathed. He caught Lily's eye, his face full of terror. "Follow me!"

Lily, who had been expecting yet another cry of "Run!", was confused with Sirius's orders, but she complied anyways. If she had to pick anybody to escape impossible odds, Sirius Black was her top pick with James close in second; she had learned never to underestimate a Marauder, specifically the one who had evaded the most people, including Dumbledore.

With the blazing fire close behind them, Sirius led Lily into Zonko's Joke Shop. He glanced only briefly behind him to ensure that Lily hadn't gotten lost, and then leaped from the top step to the basement in one bound.

Normally Lily would have gone down the stairs one at a time, but she was running on pure adrenaline now. She didn't hesitate to copy Sirius, and a sharp pain shot up her ankle as she roughly landed on the hard floor, but Lily ignored it.

"Come on, come on, come on..." Sirius growled, fighting furiously with a discolored tile on the floor. He looked back over his shoulder once before pulling out his wand and yelling, "_Reducto!_"

The tile shattered, revealing a small passageway underneath. Sirius shoved her into the tunnel before jumping into it himself.

"Hurry up," Sirius's voice whispered close to Lily's ear. He grabbed her hand and started running, guiding her through the pitch-black maze.

It was silent except for their footsteps and hard breathing until suddenly something roared behind Lily, and she risked glancing back behind her to see that the Fiendfyre had gone right through the hole and was now chasing them. Several fiery horses cantered towards them with amazing speed, and Lily noticed a flaw in Sirius's plan.

"Sirius, we'll be bringing the Fiendfyre right into Hogwarts!" Lily yelled, and there was a hot gust of air as the passageway opened up into a large, long corridor that could easily fit fifty people.

"But how is it possible to stop it?" Sirius asked, stopping and facing Lily. She looked back at the fire getting closer and closer. If the fire reached Hogwarts, her beloved castle with become nothing more than a charred mass grave. There was only one thing that could stop Fiendfyre, and that was a mass of stone so large that the fire couldn't burn through it, a barrier. Lily felt her heart drop as she realized what they would need to do to stop the fire.

"We need to collapse the passageway."

Sirius's eyes widened. "We would be trapped, Lily."

"I know, but it's either only the two of us or the entire castle and all of our friends," Lily said, feeling tears prickle her eyes. The fire was now twenty yards away, close enough that the blistering heat was almost unbearable.

Sirius bit his lip, and Lily knew that she had him convinced; he would choose the life of the people he loved over his own any day, just as Lily would.

"Nice knowing you, Flower. See you at the Ruby Gates," Sirius said. Together the two of them turned towards the fire, and raised their wands to the ceiling.

"_CONFRIGO!_"

There was a deafening crack that went off like a gunshot, and Lily didn't have time to do anything before the stone ceiling crumpled and collapsed on the Fiendfyre. Lily felt somebody pulling her from a boulder that felt right where she was standing moments ago before something hit her head, and she collapsed, blackness cutting right through her vision.

* * *

><p>James watched with dread as the large flames burned through the village in the distance, all hope of finding Sirius, Lily, and Mary alive vanishing. Remus, Peter, Alice, and Marlene were right next to him in the Hospital Wing along with everybody else, staring out the large windows with grief clear in their eyes, but their grief was different from James: they were only sad for the village, that it would a long time before they were able to visit it again, James...<p>

He watched the Fiendfyre evaporate in the distance, signaling that there was nothing more for the fire to consume.

They were gone.

Beside him Alice burst into tears, heart-wrenching sobs that would have brought pity in anybody except for James. Marlene hugged Alice, her lip trembling from trying to keep back the threatening tears, and Peter awkwardly patted her knee, but not James; he did nothing.

He felt nothing. There was only a hollow hole where he knew the pain should be. The only thing he could register was shock: he couldn't think of anything, he couldn't feel anything. The Hospital Wing around him disappeared as the jarring truth beat him with such vigor that he should have collapsed.

Oh, the horror was there. The grief was wrecking him mercilessly, but he was in a separate body, where the pain couldn't reach him. He could feel it, but he couldn't at the same time. All he could feel was the stunned sensation freezing him.

"Prongs..." Remus said, his voice thick.

Suddenly the floor shook, and James was caught off balance. He grabbed the nearest nightstand to keep from falling over, and several people were already on the floor. There was a great rumbling, from where James couldn't tell. He tilted his head up at the ceiling, expecting it to cave in though only some dust fell; then the rumbling stopped.

"What was that?" Peter asked as he cringed on the bed.

Alice shook her head; she continued to cry.

James stared at Remus. "They're-" And he could feel the agonizing ache now; it was like somebody had electrocuted him, breaking the fragile bridge between him and his pain, and the full force of the grief smashed into him, wave after wave pounding him. The one simple word broke the stupor, and he couldn't talk, the words catching in his throat.

"I know," Remus said, and a dawning realization washed everything out from him, filling him with a new emotion: anger. Pure, unadulterated fury directed at the man responsible for his friends deaths, Crouch. His mind was crystal clear but at the same time blinded by his hatred; Crouch had gotten his friends killed, and now Crouch was getting what was coming for him.

"Potter?" Marlene asked, bewildered, but James ignored her. He ignored everybody as he strode out of the Hospital Wing; some people scurried out of his way the moment they caught the look on his face.

"James! Wait!" somebody yelled behind him, but James pushed the doors open.

Just ahead of him Crouch and Fudge stood, arguing with a very angry McGonagall while several teachers and Aurors stood to the side; one Auror was nursing a large gash on his arm.

"What are you doing here, boy-" Crouch started, but James walked right up to him and punched him squarely in the face.

* * *

><p>Her head throbbed, and her leg burned. The blazing agony was the only thing keeping her from falling back into the blissful unconsciousness.<p>

Lily inhaled, but she only managed to breath in a mouthful of thick black smoke, and she coughed violently. The air stung her eyes as she searched the darkness.

"Sirius?" Lily asked to an outline that didn't move except the faint rising and falling of his chest. "S-Sirius." The figure didn't move, and Lily squinted into the room. There was only the faintest gleam of light from a source Lily couldn't pinpoint, but she knew that as long as there was light, hope wasn't lost.

Groaning, Lily tried to move towards the shape that was Sirius, but something held her back. She tugged at her leg, only to find that there was a pile of rubble right on top of her, and it was only sheer luck that she wasn't completely buried in a stone tomb.

"Help," Lily croaked into the dark corridor. The smoke was slowly but surely clearing, and Lily could identify the source of light now: the thinnest sliver level with the ground, about fifty feet away.

Four shadows moved in the sliver of light, and new hope fluttered in Lily's heart; there were people there, just behind the door that hid her and Sirius from sight.

"Somebody, please... Help!" Lily summoned her remaining energy to yell out the final word, and the shadows stopped. She could barely discern the surprised yells, and then the shadows disappeared along with the people.

Lily could have cried as she watched the last opportunity for help run away, but the truth was that she was completely drained of any energy, too tired to do anything; Lily couldn't even summon the energy to open her eyes.

* * *

><p>"Potter! What in Merlin's name are you <em>doing<em>?" McGonagall yelled as James pummeled Crouch.

"James! JAMES!" Frank yelled. He ran forward and tried to pull James off Crouch, but James just shook him off. Several Aurors moved forward to help Frank; there was a bang and a cry of "_Releashio!_" and James felt himself fly backwards. He landed flat on his back, and at least three people grabbed him.

"Potter!" McGonagall yelled, and James lost his temper.

"HE KILLED THEM! HE KILLED THEM, PROFESSOR!" James roared, and McGonagall looked stunned.

"He killed who?" she breathed.

"MY BEST FRIEND! HE KNEW THEY WERE THERE, BUT HE KILLED THEM ANYWAYS! AND THAT WASN'T ENOUGH FOR YOU, WAS IT? YOU DAMN BASTARD!" James directed all of his rage at Crouch, who was struggling to get to his feet and stop the blood gushing from his nose.

"Three for 300, Mr. Potter-"

"I DON'T CARE! SIRIUS, LILY, AND MARY ARE ALL DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU, BUT YOU COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT THEM, COULD YOU? YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT YOUR REPUTATION, YOU TWO-FACED COWARD!" James screamed, and he lunged at Crouch, but Frank and two other Aurors held him back.

"Crouch?" McGonagall asked, thunderstruck. She seemed to be trying to hold back tears. "Did you know there were still students in Hogsmeade?"

Crouch glared at James as he said, "Yes."

That was a big mistake: McGonagall's face went from red to white quicker that a demiguise. Her hands shook with fury, and there was a loud _BANG!_

"OW!" Crouch yelled.

"Minerva!" somebody yelled, and James turned to see that Dumbledore had now arrived. He glided into the scene with such authority that James stopped struggling and the Aurors backed away. "Contain yourself."

"He gave the go-ahead for releasing Fiendfyre in Hogsmeade – when he knew that Sirius, Lily, and Mary were still in the village! _He still told his men to do it!_"McGonagall yelled, and Dumbledore sobered up and faced Crouch who was now sporting a bloody nose, three missing teeth, a swollen eye, and a bloody lip thanks to James's fist, none of which he felt sorry for, and McGonagall had caused him to break out in painful hives; she didn't look very apologetic either.

"As Headmaster, I will ask that you and Mr. Fudge leave the grounds this instant," Dumbledore said, his voice deadly calm, though James thought he heard disguised fury; there was no twinkle in the ancient face, only an alien coldness.

"You cannot-" Crouch started.

"On the contrary, I can," Dumbledore interrupted, "And I will not permit a man responsible for the deaths of three of my students to walk the halls whilst I am still Headmaster. Unless we find all three of the students alive, you, Mr. Fudge, and Minister Leach are not allowed to enter Hogwarts. Now please leave before we attract more attention."

"We already have enough attention thanks some of the crazier children here," Crouch snarled, glaring at James.

"I would disagree, Mr. Crouch. Mr. Potter and Sage are smart enough to draw a line when it comes to defeating enemies. Voldemort can replace his army, but nobody will ever be able to replace the young students you have killed. You should consider who actually stands to gain something when you allow for something like Fiendfyre to demolish an entire village."

Crouch reddened in humiliation of his lapse of judgment, but nevertheless, he and Fudge left.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe they're gone," Marlene said quietly while she, Alice, and the rest of the Marauders walked to Gryffindor tower. She hugged herself tightly, and Remus put his arm around her comfortingly. "What are we going to do now?"<p>

It was a good question. For the Marauders, they were no longer the Marauders with only three of them. For the girls, they were only one half of what they were before.

"We'll-" Remus started.

"AAAAHHHH! Spirits! Spirits are coming back to haunt us!" All five of the Gryffindors jumped as a three first year Ravenclaws ran around, waving their hands in the air like maniacs and warning of spirits Merlin-bent on revenge.

"Hey! Hey, it's okay. It's okay," Remus said, grabbing the arm of a girl.

The girl starred at him with wild eyes. "Their using to mirrors as pathways between the dead and the living! They want revenge."

"What are you talking about?" Marlene said, swooping down and offering the girl a comforting arm. "Sometimes ghosts like to play practical jokes, but they don't want to harm you. You have nothing to worry about."

"The spirit in the mirror sounded like she was trying to escape. She called for us to help her, but we can't risk letting loose an evil spirit," a boy no taller than James's elbow piped up.

"What mirror?" Remus demanded rather sharply, and the first years jumped at his unexpected harshness. "Who was yelling for you to help her?"

"The woman hides in a mirror on the fourth floor," the boy answered before racing off, and at the words James dared to feel a flicker of hope.

Remus gasped and caught James's eye; James knew they were both thinking the same thing.

* * *

><p>Voices reached Lily, but they sounded like they were underwater, muddled and distorted. She could feel the footsteps shake the floor near her head - somebody was running for her, yelling for her.<p>

"... Lily! Wake up, Lils!" the person yelled, close by now, shaking her, but Lily couldn't even lift a finger, she was so exhausted. She lay limp as the person grabbed her face; she didn't have the faintest clue who it was.

It was so real, but Lily couldn't believe it. It was too good to be true, that somebody had found her after she had suffered through Mary's kidnapping and the inferi and the Fiendfyre and the collapsing passageway...

She was dying, she must be. It was the only explanation: she couldn't face that and still live. Peter at the Pearly Gates must be waiting for her right now, and she had to go.

"Where's Mary?" the voice asked.

Mary!

Lily fought against the blackness holding her down. She may be good as dead, but Mary needed help. No matter what happened, they needed to know that Mary was still alive. It felt like she was trying to hold up the weight of the sky, but Lily _had _to help her friend.

"They have Mary..." she breathed so softly she was afraid the person next to her wouldn't be able to hear her, but the person right above her sucked in a breath as if the person was fighting back tears, and she knew that they knew Mary was captured.

The words had used up the last reserves of Lily's energy, and she fainted, knowing that Mary still had hope.

**Mushily sad, I know, but seeing as I was just watching a documentary on 9/11 I'm writing sad stuff :( At least it wasn't a cliffhanger :)**

**Anyways, I would love love love for all of you lovely readers to review this chapter. As in REALLY REALLY REALLY wanting you to review and let me know how I did.**

**We got 12 reviews from last chapter. YAY! Thank you twilightstargazer, emilylovessiriusblack, I'mMrRecklessWithACapitalR, ccCurlyQ33, lynnnnyl, alcatluvr13, Sarahrules336, Nikki-Love013, ItDidntMeanForever, princesbabe14, juuustpeachy, and Potterheadforeves. XOXOXOXOXO :D**

**Your not so evil Muggle,**

**Worldnerd121drendlroW**


	61. Shiloh

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_Mary!_

_Lily fought against the blackness holding her down. She may be good as dead, but Mary needed help. No matter what happened, they needed to know that Mary was still alive. It felt like she was trying to hold up the weight of the sky, but Lily had to help her friend._

_"They have Mary..." she breathed so softly she was afraid the person next to her wouldn't be able to hear her, but the person right above her sucked in a breath as if the person was fighting back tears, and she knew that they knew Mary was captured._

_The words had used up the last reserves of Lily's energy, and she fainted, knowing that Mary still had hope._

**Shiloh**

Lily didn't know how long she lied there, sinking into the stiff mattress that anybody else wouldn't have been able to sleep on, but to Lily it was like a soft featherbed draped in the plushest blankets and full of the squishy pillows. She drifted in and out of consciousness, catching various snippets of conversations, but she made no move to open her eyes.

"...that's what she said."

"But she didn't even know the difference between Voldemort and Dumbledore when you found her. How reliable is she when she's in that kind of state?"

"That's the only hope we have, and if there's the slimmest chance my friend is alive, I wouldn't get in my way if I were you."

"I'm sorry. It's just that-"

"Walk away right now. You don't..."

Lily didn't even try to make sense of her surroundings; people came and went, sometimes quickly and sometimes they stayed for a long time, though Lily only managed to catch parts of their visits.

"...glad you're awake. It's been almost twenty hours, Padfoot."

"It's takes just as much power to wake me up as it is to knock me out. What about Lily-Flower?"

Lily tried to focus more when she heard her name, but all that she accomplished was muddling the voices more so that they were barely distinguishable.

"Madam Pomfrey's sure she'll make a full recovery, though judging by how we found you two, I'm shocked that you're still alive. What happened?"

"Don't ask me that right now, Moony. I'll wait until she's awake-"

"Why not? We're your friends."

"No shit, Wormtail, but it's better if we both tell everybody at once. Besides, Flower's the reason any of us are still alive, and I don't care for stealing any of her credit."

"But Padfoot..."

* * *

><p>Bright light filled the room, and Lily could see it even though her eyes were firmly closed. She was awake now, really awake – not that half-conscious state she had been in for Merlin knew how long.<p>

Lily's eyes flickered open, taking in the room around her; she was in the Hospital Wing, on one of the beds that she was beginning to despise. Glancing around, Lily saw that there was barely anybody else save a seventh year Hufflepuff and a fifth year Ravenclaw, both of whom were sleeping.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," somebody said from beside her, and Lily whipped her head around, expecting an attack. She reached for her wand, but it wasn't there. Instead somebody had placed it on the nightstand, just out of her reach.

"Whoa, Flower. I'm not a Death Eater in disguise," the person said, and Lily could see the person now. It was Sirius, and he was stuffing his face with Chocolate Frog after Chocolate Frog.

"What happened," Lily croaked, raising a hand to her sore head.

"Apparently we caused quite the earthquake."

"Seriously, what happened?" Lily asked, not in the mood to play any games.

"Seriously - we caused an earthquake. And of course we also Siriusly-"

"Stop it," she moaned while Sirius laughed, and then she shot up. "What do you mean 'we caused an earthquake.'"

"Would you care for a Frog?" Sirius asked, ignoring Lily's question and instead offering Lily the sweet. Lily's jaw dropped as she saw what was on the nightstand: an enormous pile of candy with a large dent on Sirius's side.

"Answer the question."

Sirius sighed dramatically. "I would say pity, but that only means more for me," he said, now helping himself to some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"Sirius..."

"Fine. When we brought down the tunnel, everybody in the castle could feel it. They're in for quite a surprise when they discovered two crazy teenagers brought down an entire tunnel."

"Wait. You didn't tell them?" Lily asked, and just then the doors opened, and Lily turned to see the rest of the Gryffindors racing towards her; Alice was the first to reach her.

"Lily!" she squealed, leaping onto her bed and hugging her so tightly Lily thought she just shrank four clothing sizes. "Merlin, Lily. We thought you were dead. We thought that the Fiendfyre got you and that we'd never see you again!"

"I'm okay, Alice, I'm okay," Lily said, slowly prying Alice's arms loose.

"Alice, let her breath," Marlene said, and as soon as Alice released Lily and sat at the foot of her bed, she swooped down to hug Lily tightly. "Never scare us like that again, Lils."

"I'm sorry," Lily said sheepishly. "What happened to all of you?" she asked, assessing all of them: Marlene still had a nasty burn stretching across her cheek and neck, and Alice was holding her ankle tenderly. She glanced at the boys; Remus was sporting a bandage tightly wrapped around his forearm while James had multiple cuts and bruises all over him, only half-healed. Peter was the only one who looked like he wasn't thrown into a meat grinder.

"We had some trouble with the Death Eaters," Remus said, casually waving off Lily's worry, "But we're fine, which was more than we can say for either of you two when we found you."

"Apparently we nearly gave Marlene a heart attack," Sirius stage-whispered to Lily, and Marlene glared at him.

"Yeah, you did! We found both of you half-dead buried under a pile of rock. It's took a long time for Pomfrey to wake either of you-"

"How long were we out?" Lily asked.

"Padfoot was out for twenty hours, and it took two days for you," James answered, and Lily did a double take.

"Two days?" she repeated, stunned.

"Yeah, and we would really like to know why one of our favorite passageways is completely caved in," Remus said.

Lily looked at Sirius. "Do you want to tell them, or should I?"

Sirius shrugged. "You can tell them. The loss of the tunnel is still strong," he said with an overly dramatic sigh, clutching his heart. "Oh, my fair lady, you destroyed one of the only things that I loved-"

"Oh, shut up."

"Just trying to ease the pain. You can tell them."

Lily nodded and was about to tell them when she noticed that somebody was missing. "Where's Mary?" she asked slowly, and her heart turned to ice as she noticed everybody exchange mournful looks. "Where's Mary?" Lily asked with more force in her voice.

Marlene's lip trembled. "Lily, nobody knows where Mary is. Dumbledore has some people out looking for her, but nobody's seen her since the attack."

Lily blinked back her tears, consumed by the thought of Manumali torturing Mary. She didn't want anybody else to know the agony of the Cruciatus Curse, but the possibility was less than zero. Either she was being tortured or she was already dead.

Just then the doors opened, and Rawlings entered.

"I hate to interrupt, but I need to talk to Lily privately," Rawlings said, coming to a stop just before Lily's bed; she had never seen Rawlings looking so serious.

"C'mon," Remus muttered after several moments, dragging Peter with him. "We can come back later."

"But-" James started to argue, but Remus sent him a look that warned him not to argue, and they all left with a promise they would be back soon.

"Sirius, you need to take the sleeping potion," Rawlings said, and Sirius's eyes widened.

"I never thought I would be saying this, seeing how I love my sleep, but I've been laying in a bed for two days – I think I have all the rest I need."

"Black, don't argue," Rawlings said with a dangerous tone. "I need to speak to Lily." Sirius dropped his Every Flavor Beans at the use of his hated last name.

"Are you crazy, lady? What is so important that-"

"Sirius Black, either you take it, or I will force-feed you."

Gazing suspiciously at Rawlings, Sirius leaned over to grab a goblet that was smoking slightly. Rawlings stared at him until Sirius raised the goblet to his lips and drank. Slowly his eyelids fluttered closed and then he fell back into his pillow and started snoring loudly.

"Lily, you need to listen to me. Voldemort sent his Death Eaters to Hogsmeade to try to evaluate how well your abilities have developed. I don't know when he started to keep tabs on you, but the fact that you escaped one of his most trusted Death Eaters on top of the army of inferi and Fiendfyre doesn't help."

"But I had help…" Lily said.

Rawlings shook her head furiously. "He doesn't think like that, Lily. Voldemort thinks that he has found somebody worth his time, and the fact that you're a Muggle-born makes it that more complicated. You need to understand that."

"What are you saying, Sage?"

"I'm saying that you now target painted in red on you. He wants to see you personally, and anybody around you will be in danger. Nobody else can know this; Voldemort has spies everywhere, whether they be willing or not, and the moment he realizes that you know what he's trying to do, he won't be afraid to come out in the open. Right now he doesn't want to draw attention to anything he plans to do with you, and if that changes, there's no telling what he'll do. You _need _to realize what I'm telling you."

Lily nodded. "I realize what you're telling me."

Rawlings exhaled a heavy sigh of relief. "Good."

"I realize that it's because of me that Mary is captured," Lily said, and Rawlings's eyes widened.

"No, Lily. That's not what-"

"You need to tell me where she is," Lily said.

"I don't know where she is, Lily. If I did then I would be there, believe me."

"There has to be a way to find her," Lily said, and then she looked critically at Rawlings, an idea slowly starting to form. "Sage, why does Voldemort want Shiloh?"

Rawlings's jaw dropped. "What?"

The pieces were slowly coming together: every time Manumali spoke, Shiloh was mentioned, and he had to be valuable to Voldemort for _something_. Whatever Shiloh could do, he was the only lead for Lily to find Mary.

"Why does Voldemort want Shiloh? I know that he has to be hidden, but I want to know why."

"Lily, I can't risk telling you."

"Mary has a very good chance of getting killed, and if you haven't yet told me that Shiloh can't help, there is a possibility that he can help. Can we please at least ask him?"

Rawlings bowed her head, and for the moment, she looked younger than Lily ever thought possible. She was like a helpless child, terrified. "It doesn't work like that, Lily. There is a reason Darcie and I are the only ones to know where he is."

"But he can help?"

"His… talent, you might say, could work, but you don't realize that it is much more than just playing Twenty Questions."

"Sage, Mary's life is in danger, and I'm willing to do anything."

Rawlings bit her lip, torn. "Lily, you have no idea what you're asking."

"Sage, I know that you know how terrible it is to be imprisoned by Death Eaters," Lily said, and Sage's eyes flashed in anger at the memory of her time with Mulciber Sr. She subconsciously rubbed her scars circling her neck. "And now ask yourself how far you would go to save one of your best friends from that same fate."

Rawlings sighed in defeat. "Lily, I'll do that, but you have to promise _never _to tell anybody else about Shiloh. If other people found out what he could do, they would stop at nothing to get him."

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Lily swore. "Now can you please ask him-"

"I can't ask him anything. You'll have to come with me," Rawlings said, slowly walking over to a fireplace. She withdrew a small pot from the folds of her cloak and threw something that looked like ash. Instantly the flames turned bright green.

Lily glanced at Madame Pomfrey's office door, but it remained closed. Steeling herself, Lily quietly tip-toed over to the fireplace.

Rawlings stepped in, and there was a _whoosh _of green fire. She disappeared from the Hospital Wing in a whirl of green flames. Lily took a deep breath and followed.

* * *

><p>Coughing, Lily clambered out of the fireplace covered in ash and soot. Rawlings held her arm until Lily was done with her small fit.<p>

"Where are we?" Lily asked, looking around the abandoned shack she had Flooed into. Cobwebs and dust covered every inch of the miserable hut, and all the windows were missing save for one that had one large crack. There was a single torn sofa that looked like Dumbledore had bought it when he was born, and a small bookshelf with only one shelf; the rest were broken at the foot of the bookshelf.

"Just an old house," Rawlings said simply.

Lily gaped at the rotting wood. "You forgot the emphasis on _old_. Rats couldn't live here, let alone a human."

"That's because you're not looking," Rawlings said, her lips quirking into a small smile. "There are more enchantments on this place than Hogwarts. Only people who are in complete control of their mind and want Voldemort to die can enter. There's an Anti-Apparation Jinx, though you can still Disapparate. This house was purely meant to be a safe house, not a fort for fighting, so you can still escape easily. We have all protective enchantments you could think of, from Muggle Repellers to the Fidelius Charm."

"The Fidelius Charm?" Lily asked. "Then wouldn't that mean that I couldn't..."

"Stoughton was never the Secret Keeper; he was just a decoy," Rawlings said. "And after he died, Voldemort believed that my mother Bianca was the Secret Keeper."

Lily picked up on Rawlings's tone. "But she never was?"

Rawlings nodded silently. "She never was, so she was killed for nothing."

"Sage, I still am completely lost."

She smiled. "Good. That means that anybody else who could be listening is confused as well."

"Nobody's listening, so will you please explain to me why we are in this little hovel you call a house."

Rawlings sighed. "You won't understand unless I start at the beginning. I come from a family of four: my parents, my brother, and me. There's a history of Seer blood in our family, and Shiloh was a Seer."

"When you say 'was', do you mean-"

"He _was _a Seer, if you even call him that. When I was little I always called him the Super Seer because he could make more than the occasional prediction. He somehow could tell things that happened in the past, present, and future, so you can see why I called him the Super Seer. One day Voldemort heard of Shiloh's ability, and he followed us into the woods where we played every day. He saw Shiloh telling me about the history of the little baby bird I had found, and he was telling me that he could see its entire future and not to worry. Then Voldemort appeared, and he – he..." Rawlings blinked back tears, and Lily briefly recalled how she had been catatonic for a short period after Shiloh's attack.

"He what?" Lily asked gently.

"Voldemort offered Shiloh a place in his command, and Shiloh had a strong sense of right and wrong, even then, so he refused. Voldemort tortured him forever while I was forced to watch. He used everything: the Cruciatus Curse, snakes of all sizes, and he forced Shiloh to witness terrible things. Finally my parents heard Shiloh's screams, and Voldemort didn't want Dumbledore to have a chance to use Shiloh, so he summoned a small manticore, and my parents got hold of Dumbledore just in time. They knew that Voldemort would be after Shiloh if he ever discovered he was still alive, so my family told the world that Shiloh died in a Thestral accident, common enough that nobody would question it."

Lily watched Rawlings slowly deflate as she told the story of her brother. "But Shiloh was still alive."

Rawlings nodded. "In a way, yes."

"What do you mean, 'in a way'. Did he become some sort of inferi-zombie person?"

"No, but he was never the same."

"How so?"

Rawlings inhaled deeply. "It's hard to explain. Have you ever witnessed a person after they've been tortured for a long period of time?"

Lily shook her head. "No, but I do know how terrible the Cruciatus Curse is."

"Shiloh was always fragile, but something in him broke. Usually when people want information, they're careful never to fry the person's mind; Voldemort wasn't careful."

Lily gasped. "So is Shiloh… you know… _mad_?"

Rawlings shook her head. "Not completely. I've never seen the worst-case scenario when a person is pushed past their limits – there are so many variables. Sometimes the person can recover, sometimes they're gone without any chance of recovery, not even able to recognize their own face. Other times they just lose their common sense, like Shiloh. You'll see what I mean when you meet him."

Lily swallowed painfully. Rawlings was right – she really _didn't _know what she was asking for. "What happened after – after the incident?"

"My mother wanted to make sure that Shiloh remained hidden, so we took him here and placed the Fidelius Charm over this 'hovel' as you call it. Then we needed to choose a Secret Keeper."

"But you said it wasn't Stoughton."

Rawlings shook her head. "Jack and his wife were always so good to us, and we were almost like a family. It was Jack who came up with the plan. Only a select few knew that Shiloh was still alive: my family and I, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Caradoc Dearborn, Stoughton, and my brother's best friend."

"Darcie?" Lily asked.

"That's I call her when I'm not here since we can't risk the wrong people overhearing. Her real name is Samantha Peterson, a Muggle-born from around the place where I grew up; her parents died a couple of years ago. You might see her boyfriend around, Dale Granger. He's a Muggle."

"So what was Stoughton's plan?"

"He would act as the decoy while the real Secret Keeper was kept hidden. Not even Dumbledore knew since we didn't want to risk the wrong person reading into Dumbledore's weird comments. After Jack was killed, Voldemort wasn't able to get the location out of Samantha when she was briefly captured, and he knew that Jack was never the Secret Keeper since after the Secret Keeper dies, anybody who knew of the secret before the Scret Keeper died becomes a Scret Keeper. He thought my mother would be the next choice for the position, so he went after her. You know how that turned out."

Lily nodded solemnly. "I saw the newspaper article about how she was killed."

"And now Voldemort is hunting for the real Secret Keeper."

"Who's the real Secret Keeper?"

Rawlings smiled and simply said, "I am - always have been. How else do you think you're here?"

Lily started. "Wait. Your brother is _here_? As in this house? I don't see him."

"That's because you're not looking." Rawlings said cryptically, walking over to an ordinary looking closet. There was nothing in it save for a broken clothes hanger. She shut the door and pulled her wand out, performing a complicated series of waves and swishes while she muttered, "_Tantum quaeritur de vobis revelare Silo_."

Nothing happened until Rawlings opened the door again, revealing a tiny, dark passageway that stretched far down into the ground. Rawlings quickly slipped into the tunnel and glanced at Lily behind her. "Make sure to close the door," she whispered.

Lily glanced one more time around the little shack before following Rawlings.

* * *

><p>"Merlin, what do you reckon's got Sage so scared?" Alice asked tentatively, glancing at the closed doors. Her blue eyes were wider than normal.<p>

Remus shrugged. "I haven't the faintest idea. Maybe it was because she and Mary were the first to realize there was an attack on Hogsmeade."

"Can't be," Marlene said, shaking her head. "If it was a warning like that then Sage would've made sure we all heard it. Lily might tell us after she's done talking to her."

James said nothing, fear swirling inside of him: nobody else knew of Voldemort's earlier interest in Lily, and Lily had never told any of her friends just what Voldemort was trying to accomplish. He had a bad feeling that the Hogsmeade attack was the start of something much bigger.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Prewett, Mr. Lupin, Ms. McKinnon," McGonagall said, appearing in front of them. She pressed her lips in a thin line. "Professor Dumbledore would like to speak to you."

"About what?" Alice asked.

McGonagall's lips got even thinner. "You will see soon enough."

* * *

><p>There was nothing but darkness as Lily quietly tip-toed behind Rawlings. "Sage, when does the tunnel end?" Rawlings didn't answer. Instead she reached out to a small door right in front of them, and Lily blinked as a soft, golden light flooded the tunnel.<p>

"Identify yourself," a sharp voice demanded, and Lily blinked once more to find herself facing a wand held by a small woman a little older than Rawlings – twenty-five or so. Her long brown hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, and her brown eyes were wide with fear.

"Samantha, it's okay," Rawlings said soothingly.

"Sage, why did you bring someone here of all places? Do you realize what you're doing?"

"He's my brother, so I would say I understand better than anybody else."

Samantha peered at Lily, her penetrating gaze suspicious and alert. "What's your name?"

"Lily Evans," Lily said nervously.

"What do you want with Shiloh?" she asked in a harsh voice.

"Hermione! Hermione!" a man's voice yelled, and suddenly Samantha was pushed aside as a young man a few years Rawlings's senior rushed to Rawlings and started shaking her shoulders. "Hermione, the Muggle-Born Registration Commission wants you. They have the Dementors on hand to Kiss you. Hermione, run! Run!"

"Shiloh, it's me, your sister. We've been through this before: my name is not Hermione," Rawlings said gently, slowly removing the man's hands from her shoulders and guiding him to the nearest sofa.

Lily stared at Shiloh, taking in everything from his hair to the crazed look in his wide blue eyes. He resembled Rawlings so much; they could have been twins. While Rawlings had changed her hair to the spiky, black pixie cut, Shiloh had the same color as Rawlings's natural mahogany. He was cute, Lily would give him that, but there was a fragile aura about him, as if he might break at any minute.

Shiloh then snapped his eyes to Lily, and she backed up immediately, but Shiloh slowly walked towards her.

"Jean? Is that you?" For the briefest moment, Shiloh was normal, but then he caught sight of something to the left of Lily's ear and started shrieking. "Fiendfyre! NO! They'll destroy Hogsmeade. Mother, stop them! STOP THEM!" Shiloh yelled, facing Samantha.

"Shiloh, listen to me," Samantha said softly. "Your mother's not coming back." She took one of Shiloh's hands and held it.

Shiloh collapsed on the spot and rocked back and forth. "Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead..." he repeated until his voice was so quiet that Lily could barely hear him.

Lily steeled her nerves: Mary needed help.

"Shiloh?" Lily asked gently, and Shiloh continued to shake his hands in his hands. "Shiloh, I need your help. It's my friend, Mary, and I'm scared she might be dead-"

"Jean," Shiloh said. He was up on his feet now and had grabbed hold of the front of Lily's robes. She stood there, frozen, as Shiloh stared deep into her eyes. "Death...St. Peter...St. Mary...Mary Magdalene...Mary...Mary...Mary..." Shiloh trailed off and started dancing around in a circle, repeating Mary's name over and over again. "Mary...Mary...Mary – MARY!" Shiloh screamed, and Lily jumped violently.

"Yes, Mary Macdonald," she said.

"Mary needs help, Jean! She needs help. There is a pain that you can never imagine..."

"I can imagine it," Lily muttered darkly, her limbs tingling with the memory of the blistering fire scorching every inch of her skin. "But I need to find her."

Shiloh wrapped his arms around himself and said, "She's at the terrible place...terrible..."

"Where?" Lily asked urgently, and Shiloh looked at her, for a moment appearing completely sane. There was no wildness in his eyes, and when he stared at Lily, she knew that he was seeing Lily, not the woman his mind was telling him.

"Lily Evans," he announced blankly. Shiloh, now trancelike, raised his hand and pressed it to Lily's temple. She gasped as pictures zoomed in and out of her mind's eye with breathtaking speed: it was an island, an island with a great, curved stone archway.

He pulled away and searched Lily's face with an intensity that Lily didn't think was possible. "Help her, Lily Evans, help her," Shiloh said, but Lily knew he wasn't talking about just Mary. Another woman who was closer to him than anybody else.

"I will. I promise, Shiloh," Lily said solemnly, and Shiloh breathed a sigh of relief before the fogginess clouded his eyes, and he ran away, screeching at the top of his lungs; Samantha went to help him.

Lily inhaled deeply and faced Rawlings. "Will you help me find Mary?"

Rawlings looked a little insulted. "Why do you think I came with you?"

**I worked extra-hard to get the chapter up because I just felt so bad for leaving all of you lovely readers dangling, and I thought this chapter might make up for the lost time.**

**I know that's it's been a long time since I've updated, but ever since I took a 3 week *vacation* from my classes, I've been falling behind a bit, and I REALLY need to good on my finals. Plus I do have a life outside of writing. No, I am not saying that writing is only something I do because I'm bored. It's just that the few times I've had time, I've been so stressed that I needed small breaks whenever I could get them, and hanging out with my friends seemed the best way to relieve some of the stress. Again, I apologize and I hope you understand.**

**Good news is that after this week, I'm all done with school so I'll have a lot more time to write :D**

**So all of you finally know about Shiloh. It's only been over half of the story, and I kind of figured that all of you have waited long enough. I don't know if i told you guys, but in the original version I was going to have the Shiloh storyline as part of another character (I won't tell you who because I just want you to think of all the characters just the way they are) I never intended Rawlings to become almost like a main character. At first she was going to be a little bit like Oggins, there but extremely forgettable. It's just she's so fun to write because I'm a big fan of the quote: "Appearances can be deceiving" Anyways, I really like Rawlings now, and I'm planning on having her stay aroung for a little longer :)**

**Anyways, I hope that most of you are satisfied. You finally know what happened to Shiloh and why he had to be protected.**

**Thanks: ItDidntMeanForever, Nikki-Love013, ClamatiWP, lynnnnyl, twilightstargazer, ccCurlyQ33, Chai Bookworm, RecklessAbandon777, BethMalfoy4922, JuJuBugxx, I'mMrRecklessWithACapitalR, vampire-luver101, the-sarcastic-cynic, Sarahrules336, juuustpeachy, and emilylovessiriusblack :D**

**We got 16 reviews last time. 16! WOW, that's a lot. Maybe I should wait over a week in between every update...**

**Your June Muggle,**

**It's-A-Nerdy-Nerd-World**

**PS: saw Snow White and the Huntsman. I'm pleasantly surprised that Kristen Stewart was a much better actress in that movie.**

**PPS: Fellow Wisconsinites, I hope you remembered to vote in the recall election. Make your voice heard! (Unfortunately I can't because I'm _not old enough_. Merlin, I hate that law. *Sigh* Oh well :P)**

**PPPS: This story has finally reached the 200,000 words mark. YAY!**


	62. Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_"Lily Evans," he announced blankly. Shiloh, now trancelike, raised his hand and pressed it to Lily's temple. She gasped as pictures zoomed in and out of her mind's eye with breathtaking speed: it was an island, an island with a great, curved stone archway._

_He pulled away and searched Lily's face with an intensity that Lily didn't think was possible. "Help her, Lily Evans, help her," Shiloh said, but Lily knew he wasn't talking about just Mary. Another woman who was closer to him than anybody else._

_"I will. I promise, Shiloh," Lily said solemnly, and Shiloh breathed a sigh of relief before the fogginess clouded his eyes, and he ran away, screeching at the top of his lungs; Samantha went to help him._

_Lily inhaled deeply and faced Rawlings. "Will you help me find Mary?"_

_Rawlings looked a little insulted. "Why do you think I came with you?"_

**Desperate Times, Desperate Measures**

"I'm not sure what Shiloh did, but he showed me a cave or something. It was on an island with some sort of archway. Maybe-"

"Was there a snake on top of the archway?" Rawlings asked flatly.

Lily bit her lip, thinking hard. She drew up all the images Shiloh had shown her in her head. "I…I _think _so. Why?"

Rawlings inhaled deeply. "I know the place Shiloh showed you."

"You do?" Lily asked, surprised.

She nodded. "It's the same place I was held when Mulciber captured me."

* * *

><p>"What does Dumbledore want with us?" Alice whispered to Marlene as McGonagall led them up to the Headmaster's office. She looked around for anybody else, but not a single person was within half a mile of them.<p>

Marlene shrugged. "How should I know?"

"Ice Mice," McGonagall said clearly, and the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office leapt aside. "Inside," she ordered the four, and they followed.

"What's this about?" James asked, and Remus frowned, deep in concentration.

"I'm guessing something to do with Voldemort since there was an attack on Hogsmeade two days ago," he said.

McGonagall didn't give any indication to whether Remus was right or wrong, and she instead knocked on the door which James knew to lead up to Dumbledore's office.

"Enter," came the reply, and McGonagall stood aside to let them pass.

* * *

><p>Apparation.<p>

Lily absolutely hated it, but it was the only way to reach the cave, so Lily was subject to the feeling of being forcibly pushed down a tube three times smaller than she was once again.

_BOOM!_

Lily jumped, but it was only the thunder in the storm – how ironic.

"That's the place," Rawlings said from beside her, pointing to the same archway Shiloh had shown her. Around her there was nothing but rock and old Muggle inventions. "It's the only way I know of to get in, and it's where all of the Death Eaters will be stationed as a lookout."

She cautiously started walking towards it when Lily threw out her arm.

"Wait!" she whispered. Lily looked around; the Muggle inventions weren't just random bits of metal...

"What?"

"There's another way in," she said.

Rawlings stared at her. "Did Shiloh show you?"

Lily shook her head. "No, but there is another way in." It was brilliant; the Death Eaters really were ignorant of the Muggle world.

"How?"

"Look around you. All of these Muggle things? They're things Muggles use in mines," Lily said, but Rawlings still looked lost, so Lily explained further. "Whenever Muggles mine, there will always be at least one other airshaft in case of cave-ins. They need a way to get oxygen as well, so if this really is a Muggle mine, then there should be a second way we can get in." Lily said, but Rawlings still looked skeptical.

"Where?"

"No idea," she said, "But we need to look because there has to be one."

* * *

><p>Dumbledore was sitting behind the magnificent desk, and Fawkes stood on his golden perch, peering at them with curiosity. James had only seen the phoenix once before, but he was always struck by the phoenix's beauty.<p>

"Sir, if you don't mind my asking, what are we doing here?" Alice asked quickly, and Dumbledore smiled.

"You may not know, but after the Hogsmeade attack, Minister Leach finally acknowledged that there are Dark forces out there wishing to harm both wizards and Muggles-"

"He finally realized that?" Alice blurted out, and he nodded in confirmation.

"I am willing to bet that by tomorrow, Wizardkind will know of certain attempts to destabilize our civilization. Most of the Aurors have been given the task of protecting certain people while others are currently tracking the whereabouts of suspected Death Eaters."

"But what does that have to do with us, sir?" Remus asked.

"The Aurors are stretched too thin, and they are restricted by the law. I am aware that all of you are highly skilled witches and wizards with a shared dislike towards the Dark Arts. You possess talent, bravery, and cleverness in great quantities, and you would give Voldemort a fight to remember. All of you, one way or another, do not agree with Voldemort's aims and would like to stop it, am I correct?"

James nodded and glanced around to see that everybody else was also.

"I am asking you if you would willingly fight against the Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Keep in mind that I am asking all of you to make severe sacrifices should you agree. There will always be the chance that you will be killed or captured or tortured or even worse. You will be risking your lives on a daily basis, and there is a possibility that none of you in this room will live to see the end of the war."

"Count me in," Marlene said instantly. "If I'm going to die, I'm taking some of those bastards with me. They deserve it."

Dumbledore smiled. "I am only asking you to think about it, and I cannot give you any other information until you agree. Come spring, after all of you are of age, I will ask for your answer again. Please note that you will not be doing much while you are still in school, but there may one or two things during the summer. They won't be that bad compared to what you would do after school, and I wish to give you a year in school to prepare."

He looked at each of them, and James tried hard to suppress the feelings of anticipation growing in him. He was sure those bright blue eyes could see right through him, but it was impossible.

He had a chance to fight Voldemort; it was one thing to defend when there was an attack, but to actually hunt down and destroy Death Eaters, maybe eventually Voldemort…

* * *

><p>Lily had never been more miserable in her life; along with Rawlings, she had searched the little mountain of rock while the thunder boomed around her, and the icy rain pelted her mercilessly while the wind froze the rain on her skin and hair; she was practically a walking Lilsicle.<p>

"I found it! Lily, get over here!" Rawlings shouted, and Lily tried to run as fast as she could over the slippery rock, but it was like trying to run on a wall; she needed to grab other rocks to keep her from falling more than twice. The last time was met with a sharp sting across her palm.

When she finally reached Rawlings, her former teacher was standing in front of a wide, dark tunnel that was on the other side of the island, far away from the entrance. It was tiny enough that somebody like Goyle or Yaxley would barely fit in there.

They cautiously entered the tunnel, which thankfully was warm. Lily's heart leapt when the rain stopped; the last time she had been in a tunnel like this was when the Fiendfyre was chasing her and the tunnel had collapsed on her, knocking Lily out for two full days.

"Wait," Rawlings muttered, and she flicked her wand. Lily's clothes dried instantly and warmed her as if they had been sitting in front of a blazing fire for several hours.

"Thanks," Lily said, relishing the warmth.

"Listen, Lily. I don't know how many Death Eaters are in there or if they have any idea that this tunnel exists, but it's critical that they don't see you. If they see me alone, they'll probably think that I never told anybody about this place, and that I was in too much of a hurry to get anybody else to come with me. If they don't think anybody else knows about it, they won't move."

Lily nodded, and Rawlings tapped her with her wand. Lily felt the feeling of cold water dripping down her back; she looked down only to see that her body wasn't there.

"Disillusionment Charm," Rawlings explained. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Lily replied, withdrawing her wand and taking a deep breath.

* * *

><p>"What if we have our answers now?" James asked.<p>

"You not are of age yet, Mr. Potter. I would have waited until all of you were out of school to ask you to join, but desperate times call for desperate measures unfortunately. Voldemort, I fear, is already recruiting within these walls as young as fourth and fifth year, and we must look for fighters where we can find them. I am aware that Ms. McKinnon turned of age in September and Ms. Prewett in November, but neither you nor Mr. Lupin turn seventeen until March. You may go now, but please give it some serious thought. Many of the things you would do would never be revealed to the world; there will be no glory if you decide to join us."

"Sir, I hate to ask, but why now?" Remus inquired.

"Because, Mr. Lupin, all of you showed me something extraordinary when you fought off the Death Eaters and inferi. I do not make these sorts of decisions lightly. And one final thing: you _must not _tell anybody else what I have told, including your friends. Our key lies in secrecy, and no matter what your friends say, you must – not – tell – them. Am I clear?"

Remus nodded, and he and Marlene left. They whispered to each other like they had already decided, but James stood still, a small thought nagging the back of his mind, and Alice seemed to have the same idea.

"Wait – what about Lily? Sirius? Peter? Mary? They all fought as well," Alice said.

Dumbledore lowered his head. "I have my reasons, Ms. Prewett. Like I said, I do not make these decisions lightly."

"But all of them were important to the Hogsmeade attack," she argued. "Nobody would have showed up to help us if Peter hadn't told you; Sirius is the reason Lily survived, and without Lily and Mary, nobody would have even known there was an attack." Her voice rose in frustration the more she continued to speak.

"I am still waiting for Mr. Black to show some thought before he speaks, though I think the only way he will learn is if there are repercussions to something he says. Mr. Pettigrew has not shown me many instances where he has much talent, I'm afraid. In the fight against Voldemort, you need to hold your own against very powerful adversaries."

James then realized just how blind Dumbledore could be. If he said that about Peter then he must not have realized that all three of them had been illegal animagi for a whole year. Besides, Peter had fought several Slytherins and won. Granted, they weren't the smarter ones, but not all of Voldemort's Death Eaters were as smart and skilled as Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Ms. Macdonald has been the same way to a lesser degree."

"And Lily?" Alice demanded aggressively. "She survived an encounter with Bellatrix and two other Slytherins when she was only thirteen, and she's arguably the best out of all of us. She's fought at least ten different Death Eaters. You can't say that she doesn't have the skills to fight the Death Eaters, and I wouldn't be surprised if she could fight Voldemort himself."

"Ms. Evans," Dumbledore started, "Is a special case. Mr. Potter here knows some of the details."

"James?" Alice asked him, not expecting him to know about her friend than she did. "What do you know?"

"He and Mr. Black stumbled upon the memory-"

"Which memory?" she asked sharply, a hint of fear in her voice. "Trelawney or Bellatrix?"

It sounded eerily close to what Lily had said when James had told her that he knew about the night in second year. She had mentioned Trelawney then, and he was starting to think that they had received a bad prophecy or something.

"Bellatrix," Dumbledore answered calmly.

Alice swallowed, and when she spoke there was a small tremble in her voice. "She's my closest friend, Professor. I would like to know."

Dumbledore searched Alice's face for a long time before sighing and saying, "Voldemort is interested in her, Ms. Prewett, and I can't risk Ms. Evans fighting Voldemort when there are still some things we could use to our advantage."

"When you say 'interested', do you mean-"

"She has shown some qualities that Voldemort has found to be worth his attention. I would like to use that to our advantage, and it would be impossible to use that if she was actively fighting."

"But he must know that she hates him," Alice said.

"Voldemort thinks that everybody else thinks like him: power. He believes that he can convince certain people with power."

"But Lily doesn't want that."

Dumbledore shrugged. "Voldemort doesn't know that. Though since Ms. Evans is a Muggle-born, he will be much more hesitant to try to convince her. She is the opposite of what he's fighting for."

"Is that the advantage you want to use?" James asked, and Dumbledore merely smiled mysteriously.

* * *

><p>Lily could hear voices up ahead, talking loudly. Rawlings slowly put her finger to her lips, and they crept forward. The tunnel had narrowed to the point where Lily was forced onto her knees in order to fit.<p>

"How much more longer do you think the little brat can take it?" rasped the voice of one Death Eater. Lily did a double take when she heard the voice; it was Jugson.

"I don't know. You know how stubborn those Gryffindors are. They'll act all brave and strong, but when they're overwhelmed, they're so easily defeated." Lily racked her brains, trying to pull up an image of the second speaker. She knew that she had heard the voice _somewhere_, but she was coming up blank.

"She's already going a bit weird," Jugson said, and both of them laughed.

Lily's blood boiled with fury at the last comment. Mary, sweet Mary, was on the same path as Shiloh, and they were just sitting there, talking about it – _laughing _about it. She made a move to get up, but Rawlings grabbed her arm.

"Wait. We need to make a plan," she whispered.

"Did you hear them?" Lily shot back. "Mary's losing her mind just like Shiloh did, and we need to get in there _now_!"

"There's too many variables. My brother was always fragile, but Mary's a strong girl, and it's only been a couple days."

"Yeah – a couple days too many," Lily said, and she tried to move forward, but Rawlings held her back with a surprisingly strong grip.

"Lily! Listen to me right now. You won't be doing Mary any favors if you get yourself killed." It sounded eerily close to what Stoughton had told Sirius during their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class in second year.

She bit her lip. "Fine. What do you want to do, Sage?"

* * *

><p>"Does Lily know that you know?" Alice asked as she and James left Dumbledore's office.<p>

"Yeah, I told her about it after I found out," he replied.

"What did she say?"

James shrugged. "She wanted me not to tell anybody."

"Hmmm," Alice mused. Night was already falling outside, and James could just make out the almost full moon above the tree tops. Remus was already showing signs of the full moon approaching.

James and Sirius had both found out about one of Lily's darkest secrets without her permission, but she had no idea about James's secret, a secret she had unknowingly been a part of. Well, James was privy to only one of her secrets, but-

"Wait, Alice," James said, a though falling into his head. "Lily said the same thing you said."

"Which part?" she asked curiously.

"She asked me if I had seen Trelawney or Stoughton. What memory is Trelawney?" he asked.

Alice's face drained of blood, and she was the palest James had ever seen her. She wildly turned her head side to side, as if she was afraid somebody was watching, and she twisted her hands together. "I'm not sure if you want to know," she said in a trembling voice.

"Know what?" James asked. "If it also involves you then it's not just Lily's place to say, right?"

Alice nodded jerkily and took a deep breath before saying, "If you're serious about fighting, I supposed it wouldn't hurt. Do you remember Slughorn's Christmas party in our fourth year?"

"Yes," James said slowly. "The one when Lily and Mary were hurt."

Alice grimaced. "Lily wanted to know what had happened to her; she refused to believe the excuse everybody else was telling her, so she and I went to Cassandra Trelawney's house on the outskirts of Hogsmeade."

"The lady's still alive?" James gasped, surprised. "Isn't she 200 or something?"

"About that, yeah. Anyways, we thought that a Seer might be able to help. When we got there, she invited us in and all that, but then she Saw our futures."

"And…" James prodded cautiously, not sure if he wanted to hear about the prophecy.

* * *

><p>Rawlings quietly wiggled through the hole, and Lily watched the shadows of the two men, her heart pounding. Rawlings, still crouched, slid to behind a pile of crates. She peeked around to get a better view of the men that mostly were hidden from Lily's sight, and she nodded at Lily.<p>

Lily gripped her wand tightly and squeezed through the hole herself. She raised her head to get a better view of her surroundings, and while the tunnel was clearly Muggle-made and for mining, she could very well have entered a castle; the ceiling was high, only slightly lower than the Entrance Hall in Hogwarts and less inviting. All around her furniture and crates were stored.

"Did you hear that?" one of the Death Eaters asked the other, and Lily gasped. The shadows moved for her, and she rolled to a worn-out sofa, sliding under it so the men, still far away were in her view.

One of them was Jugson, the Slytherin that had argued with Kingsley at the start of her fifth year, and the other was Delran Harvey, one of the wizards who had been present when Bellatrix murdered Stoughton. He was much older than he had been when Lily had seen him in second year, and he looked more dangerous.

"What is it?" Jugson asked.

Harvey just shook his head and said, "Probably a rat or something. Nothing."

They walked away, and Lily let out a breath of relief. She crawled out from under the sofa when the Death Eaters' backs were turned, heading for where Rawlings was hiding.

"That was close," Lily said quietly, and Rawlings nodded.

"You wait here. Mary's probably being held in a small room not far from here. When I get rid of the Death Eaters, you wait until you can hear people shouting from farther away. By the time I'll have dragged them outside, I'll Apparate to the entrance of the cave. You get Mary and drag her back the way we came."

"What if you're captured or worse?" Lily asked in a small voice. There were so many things that could go wrong with Rawlings's plan.

"They've been teaching you Apparation back at Hogwarts, right?"

Lily nodded. "Back in December."

"Then if I'm not there, you Apparate back to the gates at Hogwarts."

"But what if-"

"Have you ever fished?" Rawlings asked unexpectedly, and Lily backtracked.

"What – yeah – but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Then you know that there needs to be bait for the fish to bite," Rawlings said.

* * *

><p>James stood there waiting for Alice to respond. She had opened her mouth several times but lost the words until finally: "Lily – Lily will 'endure much hardship' or something. Trelawney said that she'll face many trials, though there is a spot of hope? No, happiness. Lily has some happiness, but Trelawney also said that death and pain are looming overhead."<p>

That was a bad prediction, but James knew that something like that wouldn't cause Alice to show the fear she was showing. "What did she say to you?" James knew he had hit the jackpot when Alice inhaled sharply.

"I have a fate worse than death," Alice said after a minute. Her voice cracked at the end of the sentence, and she stared out the window.

"Wait – you mean like… Dementor's Kiss fate?" James asked.

Alice just shook her head. "I don't know. There are plenty of things worse than death, but I don't know. I just don't think it's that. I think it's something else."

* * *

><p>Lily waited anxiously as she watched Rawlings finally duck out of her hiding place. She sent two silent Stunners straight at the Death Eaters' backs before running as quietly as she could into the next room. Several seconds later there was a loud <em>BANG!<em> Then the sounds of fighting ensued.

Lily took off into the small hallway that Rawlings's said Mary was likely held. The hallway was much less pleasant than the large room Lily had just left: numerous cobwebs covered everything in sight, and dust was an two inches thick in some places. There were little cells lining the hallway, but every single one was empty. She peeked into each one, but Mary was nowhere.

"Hello, Lily," a cold voice suddenly said from behind. Lily jumped violently and spun around.

Manumali was standing right behind her, towering and smiling down at her, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. He looked cleaner than he did in Hogsmeade.

"Fancy seeing you here."

**Please don't kill me.**

**I can explain: for a week or so the computer wouldn't allow me to log on to my account. I would, but then it would take me back to the 'Please Log In' page. It wasn't the 'Invalid Security Code' or anything, it just wouldn't let me log in. I started to go through the reviewers on my ipod and let everybody know, but that just took too long. Anywhos, I finally got on my account, and now you're reading this.**

**So I would really appreciate it if you could review, and I am a bit sorry for the cliff hanger, specifically since you really don't know if two of the people are going to live. I was going to finish the escape, but this seemed like the _perfect _place to end the chapter. Don't worry, you'll have the next chapter soon enough :)**

**REVIEW!**

**Thanks: livyy, Messy Ink, vampire-luver101, lynnnnyl, ItDidntMeanForever, BethMalfoy4922, Sarahrules336, I'mMrRecklessWithACapitalR, Chai Bookworm, JuJuBugxx, Nikki-Love013, juuustpeachy, twilightstargazer, and Dana Al Qattan (I couldn't reply to your review so I'll reply right now: that is extremely high praise, and I am very flattered you think that much of my writing. Unfortunately I can't get this story published because of copywrite infringement, and besides, it's thanks to Ms. Rowling that we have this wonderful world. I have been working on my own story with a completely different storyline, though I'm still in the planning stages. I've only written the first couple of chapters, but I am hoping that with enough work and editing, it might get published. I think I've finally settled on a name for my protagonist, even though it might be subject to change. So if you see a book in a couple of years with the main protagonist named (maybe) Quinn Tchaikovsky, that's mine :))**

**Your Muggle with a stupid computer,**

**Not-A-Nerd-Of-The-Computer**


	63. Playing with Fire

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_"Hello, Lily," a cold voice suddenly said from behind. Lily jumped violently and spun around._

_Manumali was standing right behind her, towering and smiling down at her, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. He looked cleaner than he did in Hogsmeade._

_"Fancy seeing you here."_

**Playing with Fire**

"Where's Mary?" Lily demanded, raising her wand at Manumali.

He only smiled at Lily like she was nothing but a silly child, pouting because she didn't get enough ice cream. There was something _different _about him. Lily couldn't quite put her finger to it, but Manumali had changed. During the attack, she wasn't able to get a good look at him, but now she could see.

"What did you do with my friend?" Lily repeated once more, a small tremble in her voice. A part of her didn't want to know the answer, but the other part burned with fierce loyalty.

Manumali clicked his tongue and shook his head. "My dear Lily, you have no idea how easy it was to lure you here once I had your little friend. You're very predictable like that." There was a taunting tone to his voice, as if Lily had fallen for a simple prank she should have predicted.

"_Where is Mary?_" Lily seethed, her anger bubbling just beneath the surface.

Manumali smirked. "You mean that little girl who happens to sleep in your dormitory?"

Lily said nothing, sparks flying from the tip of her wand in suppressed hatred. She didn't care if the whole thing was a trap or if Manumali had chosen one of the sweetest people alive as bait; she came here for her friend, and she was going to get who she came for.

Manumali clapped his hands. "Vanderwall, Delran, bring out the prisoner," he called to a cell a couple doors down.

Two men emerged in black cloaks with masks, the robes only Death Eaters wore. One walked with a slight limp while the other one, more pudgy, trotted two steps behind. And covered in dried blood and dirt with ropes cutting painfully into her wrists, the Death Eaters ruthlessly dragged-

"Mary!" Lily cried, running for her friend. She barely took two steps before a violent force brutally rocketed her backwards into the wall; Manumali had taken advantage of her distraction to disorient her.

She could hear Mary's muffled cries. Her friend was weakly fighting the two Death Eaters restraining her, but in her state, it wasn't much of a challenge for the two Death Eaters to keep her from going anywhere.

"I knew you would come for your friend, Lily," Manumali said, a wicked grin on his face like he was so pleased that his plan would go flawlessly. "It's one of your many flaws."

"Your plan worked, you got me. Now just let Mary go," Lily said, careful to keep the begging from her voice.

"Now why would I do that?" Manumali asked. "I have you right where I want. I could wrap you up and deliver you to the Dark Lord like an early Christmas present."

"Why give me to your master? Are you too scared to mess up again when you try to kill me?" Lily shot back. It was a reflex now, her little remarks. After years of the Marauders, she had become accustomed to it, even though one of these days she knew she was going to regret them.

"I could kill you right now, sweet," he retorted. "But the Dark Lord has other plans. You see, the Dark Lord is _very _interested to know how you escaped Bellatrix, the inferi, and the Fiendfyre with nothing more than a couple of scrapes."

Manumali stepped closer to Lily, eyeing her with an unnerving intensity. He was inches away from Lily's face now. "I myself am very interested to know how a little schoolgirl like you-"

_CRACK!_

Manumali stumbled backwards, howling with pain. Lily could see the blood pouring from between his fingers as he clutched his nose. Lily had thrust the heel on her hand into Manumali's nose with all the fury she could muster.

"Don't call me little," Lily snapped, scrambling to her feet.

"_Stupefy!_" two voices roared simultaneously, but the adrenaline had kicked in for Lily, and she cast her Shield Charm and responded with her own curse a tenth of a second later. The pudgy one burst out into painful hives, and the other raised his wand at Lily for the second time before Mary finally wrestled free of her ropes and punched him in the head. Lily finished him off with a neatly placed Impediment Jinx.

She raced for her friend and tugged the last of the ropes from Mary's wrists. "We were all so worried, Mary. We had no idea where you were-"

"I need my wand – he has my wand," Mary said, a familiar spark back in her eyes. Lily glanced behind her to see a very bloodied Manumali slowly standing up.

_Accio, _Lily thought, flicking her wand, and Mary's cypress wand flew through the air right into her waiting hand. "Listen to me. Sage is just outside; I need you to go help her and then get out of here-"

"Wha – what about you, Lils?" Mary asked, eyeing the still struggling Manumali. "He's very dangerous, and there's no telling what he'll do to you."

Lily once again glanced behind her; Manumali was seconds away from being ready to fight. "It's about time we settle this one-on-one. I'll be fine – go, _go!_"

Mary quickly hugged Lily before hurrying away, and taking a deep breath, Lily turned to face Manumali.

They were standing with identical postures, holding their wands up, pointed straight at the other person. Lily was reminded of the old cowboy standoffs her father would watch on the television back home. Her limbs tingled with a combination of fear and excitement: she couldn't bury her burning desire to beat Manumali in a duel that was already tilted in his favor.

"You'll regret you ever messed with me," Manumali threatened menacingly.

"Funny," Lily said coldly. "All I feel is satisfaction that you now have a squashed tomato for a nose."

Manumali glowered at her. "You don't realize who your messing with-"

"A bloodthirsty psychopath with lackeys who can't succeed in killing – what did you call me – little schoolgirls? I'm well aware." Lily could have roasted a marshmallow next to Manumali's face, which was steadily growing redder and redder. She shouldn't taunt Manumali, but she couldn't help but relish the rage building up inside the man.

"You remember I'm an accomplished Legilimens, right?" Manumali retorted, and Lily stopped short at the implications. The fact had completely escaped her mind – there were so many things Manumali could see that she might not have even known…

_Bang!_

Lily didn't have time to curse herself for forgetting Manumali was with her, armed and more dangerous than she had realized. Instead of a Stunner or something nastier, Lily felt something hook around her ankle and pull her towards Manumali.

In one swift movement, Manumali seized her by the neck and bodily threw her against the wall. She barely had time to keep hold of her wand before he picked her up with much more strength than humanly possible and let her slam against the floor, the air leaving her body promptly.

Lily desperately inhaled, but Manumali kneeled on her, and she struggled to breathe while Manumali held her neck with one hand.

"Your death just got that more painful, Evans," he sneered before leaning back to study her, though his knee never left her chest. Lily could feel tears in her eyes, and Manumali contemplated what to do with her.

"You need happy thoughts for a Patronus to fully form," he started slowly, glancing up and down Lily's body like she was an interesting specimen. "And I'll take _that_," he snarled wrestling Lily's wand from her still weak grip.

Lily couldn't contain the small whimper of fear; she was completely at Manumali's mercy now. Hearing her, Manumali laughed as if he couldn't find anything more entertaining.

"You had trouble at first with the Dementors at that dance, this I know," Manumali droned on slowly. Lily tried to jerk her head from his grip, but it was like trying to escape from an iron cage. She had nowhere to look but right into Manumali's colorless, wickedly gleaming eyes. "What's your happy memory, Lily?" he prodded softly.

Against all of her wishes, the memories from the night of the Dementor attack flashed through her mind – dueling the Death Eaters to a standstill, Alice falling with a scream, the sight of the Death Eater falling from the broken window…

And failing to conjure a happy memory in the presence of a Dementor-

Because there _was _no happy memory.

She could recall the feeling of the vacuum, sucking every joyful thought from her. Lily almost laughed in relief that Manumali wouldn't be able to use that against her before she realized he was smiling, smiling in a way that made fear grip Lily and refuse to relinquish her. Not fear for herself, but fear for the person who was with her that night, giving her strength.

"Ha…hahaha!" Manumali's laughs grew until it was bordering hysterical. "Lily Evans, I never would have believed it! I thought you hated him, but opposites attract I suppose. That is _interesting_."

Lily desperately tried to think of something else, anything else, but the damage was done; she had just painted a target on James's head when he had done nothing to deserve anything close to being on Voldemort's radar.

"And you don't even realize…" Manumali trailed off. The only thing holding Lily's attention was the blood covering his nose – she was sure it would at least be dented, but it was impossible to tell with all the blood still gushing from his face. "I can assure you that after I'm done with you, you can rest easy in Voldemort's grip knowing I'll be moving on to your friend _next_." On his last word, Manumali pressed his knee hard down on her, and Lily felt several ribs crack.

"You'll be making a big mistake," Lily said feebly.

Manumali just laughed and stood up but not before stomping hard on Lily's arm. She cried out in pain, but Manumali just walked away. "I will admit it, Lily: I would never have guessed _James Potter_. Everybody said you hated him and the rest of those troublemakers."

Lily said nothing, still trying to make sense of the revelation. For over five years, he had been her rival, him, Sirius, and Peter. She _couldn't _feel anything for him. Sure they had finally agreed on a silent truce, but everything Manumali said made complete sense, and now the only thing she hated was that her enemy realized it before anybody else.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean 'gone'?" Alice demanded angrily as poor Sirius looked like a hippogriff caught in a thunderstorm. "How can she be <em>gone<em>?"

"I don't know! I don't know! After you left, Rawlings threatened to force-feed me a Sleeping Potion, and when I woke up, both of them were gone!" Sirius yelped, carefully avoiding Alice's furious glare, instead focusing on Remus.

"Rawlings is with her," Peter pointed out, and Alice rounded on Peter.

"Peter Pettigrew, are you honestly that daft to believe Sage can make the difference between life and death after what happened at Hogsmeade. It's only two of them against Merlin know what, and if you-"

Remus had finally stepped forward, cutting off Alice's angry ranting. "We don't know anything yet, Alice. Lily could simply be talking to her parents or something." He calmly eased Alice back a couple of steps.

"They wouldn't give Sirius a Sleeping Potion if that's the case," Alice said.

Remus shrugged. "Lily did have a lot of private lessons with Rawlings, and maybe it was something private."

Alice growled, clearly not satisfied.

* * *

><p>"But no matter, I still have you exactly where I need. You are going to meet the Dark Lord," Manumali said, twirling both wands in his hand and gazing down the corridor, no longer believing Lily was enough of a threat to keep an eye on.<p>

Anger. Anger made people do stupid things, Lily knew this firsthand. If she could rile him up enough, he would make a mistake…

"And you will never prove that you can beat me in a fair fight, no Legilimency, no nothing," Lily said, and Manumali laughed. She knew that he wasn't using his Legilimency skills – why would he? He had both wands. There was no reason to.

"But nobody will know it wasn't a fair fight, little girl."

"Voldemort will know," Lily said. "How much do you think he will trust you when you can't even beat a 'little girl' without reading her mind. Do you think he will let you fight more experienced wizards and witches, maybe ones who know Occlumency?"

Manumali snarled. "I'm more that good enough to take them on." Good, she was finally getting under his skin. Now just a little more.

"But you haven't proven it, have you? Give me back my wand, and we'll see how you do in a fair fight," she said.

"I can see your plan, Lily Evans. You _want _me to fight you, even though you can't win," Manumali said, smirking.

"Prove it," she shot back. "As far as I can tell, it was only a fair fight when you had several more cronies with you."

Manumali was torn between taking the easy route and delivering her to Voldemort or settling the back-and-forth that had been going on for years now. Many Slytherins loved the easy way, but Lily knew nobody liked to be proven weak in front of the person they needed to please.

"This is a trick," Manumali said. "Clever, but not clever enough."

Lily shrugged, regaining her confidence little by little. "It may be a trick, but it's nothing compared to what will happen to you when all the Death Eaters realize you can't beat an unqualified witch."

She had him now.

* * *

><p>"Take that – and some of <em>that!<em>" Sage laughed, blasting one of the Death Eaters off his feet. Revenge had never felt so good. Two bloody months she had been stuck here, forced to live like rat – Merlin knew it was about bloody time.

Slowly the Death Eaters fell back, none of them willing to risk a nasty hex from Sage. She was a whirl of colors, firing everything from Stunners to much more malicious curses into the throng of Death Eaters.

"Sage!" Mary cried, silently taking down a Death Eater who had tried to fire when her back was turned. "Lily said to get out of here."

She had managed to knock out all Death Eaters save a few, and the ones still standing turned and ran. Sage aimed one more Stunner at them, and the nearest Death Eater collapsed. "C'mon," she said, grabbing Mary and sprinting for the exit. "We'll Apparate to the cave."

"Lily's fighting Manumali," Mary said, and Sage stopped short.

"She can't fight Manumali yet – she's nowhere near ready."

"Well, she's in there right now, fighting him."

"_Son of a basilisk_! Dumbledore's been doing everything in his power to make sure Lily never came near him, and bloody Chimeras! I just led her right into Manumali's waiting arms."

* * *

><p>"You're making a big mistake," Manumali said; Lily just raised her wand in response. "<em>Crucio!<em>"

The curse flew towards her with incredible speed, barely allowing her enough time to duck, causing the door behind her to shatter, the tiny pieces bursting into flame as they fell through the air. Manumali sent two more Cruciatus Curses her way, and Lily twirled to dodge one and hid behind a metal rack of odd equipment to avoid the other.

"Are we playing hide-and-seek now?" Manumali taunted, and she heard his footsteps drawing closer and closer.

Lily peeked through the rack to see Manumali was now aiming at it, and Lily yelled, "_Flipendo!_" The metal rack blasted backwards smashed right into Manumali who wasn't standing that far away. While he stumbled backwards to avoid getting squashed, Lily took off running in the opposite direction.

"You can run, but you can't hide!" Manumali screamed after her. He tried to catch up with her, but she flew down the corridor, toppling over everything in sight to hinder him. Judging from the grunts of pain behind her, several things had found their mark.

Lily risked a glance over her shoulder, relieved to see that Manumali had fallen far behind, tripping and cursing. Like a miracle, her plan was working. However, she needed a bigger distraction if she was going to escape. It was a mine, there had to be _something _she could use.

Lily flung open the door of a room close to a metal chute with an intimidating angle, a chute just large enough that Lily, with her tiny frame, could squeeze into it, and Merlin answered her prayers as she looked into the room. Granted, it wasn't full of manticores that could chase Manumali down until he collapsed from exhaustion or a spell book, but it was full of something else that worked just as well - if not better.

Dynamite.

* * *

><p>"Lily!" Mary yelled, her voice echoing in the long tunnel. She and Rawlings had searched the mine, and she was positive they were now outside of the Anti-Apparation Jinx, but Lily was nowhere to be found. "She's not here!" Mary said, her voice much higher than usual.<p>

"We'll find her. We're not that far away from where you were held; she's got to be around here some-" Rawlings broke off at the sound of distant explosions, and dust fell from the ceiling. The ground rumbled, nearly causing Mary to fall, but Rawlings steadied her. Screams echoed at the end of the tunnel Mary and Rawlings stood, and there was a faint cloud of dust at the end.

"What was that?" Mary asked slowly, terrified to know the answer.

* * *

><p>"You have nowhere to go, Evans!" He was getting closer and closer, but Lily waited, wand ready and spell already on the tip of her tongue. She needed to be patient…<p>

A purple streak of fire, identical to the one that had harmed Alice last year, collided with a spot on the wall two feet away from her.

Never mind patience now.

Lily swiftly stepped into the metal chute, hoping against hope that it wasn't blocked. She could already feel her feet sliding out from under her, and just before disappearing from Manumali's sight, Lily screamed, "_CONFRIGO!_"

Lily slid down the shoot, fast enough that she doubted any broomstick would be able to keep up with her, and the deafening explosions reverberated from above her. There was a blast of hot air, and Lily flattened out, trying to stay ahead of the blaze. She zipped down the chute, gaining speed with every second.

She had probably been sliding for thirty or forty seconds before she could spot the end of the chute, and Lily braced herself. She tumbled out of the chute and heard the _snap! _of a bone breaking, but the adrenaline fueled her, and she couldn't feel anything except the heat of the explosion from behind her.

"_Protego!_" Lily yelled just as the inferno reached her. She took off, sprinting as fast as she could; her Shield Charm wouldn't hold for long.

"_Stupefy!_" a girl's voice yelled, but Lily dodged it, readying her own curse before realizing who it was.

"Mary, it's me!"

"Lily? Thank Merlin, Lily!" Mary breathed rushing forward to pull Lily into a bone-crushing hug. "We were so worried, and – and what the _hell _was that explosion?" she demanded, frightened and angry at the same time.

Lily opened her mouth to answer before the tunnel inhaled with a rush of hot air. She looked behind her to see the Shield Charm dissipate, and the firestorm blast towards them with full force.

"We need to get out of here – _now!_" Rawlings said, racing for the girls and seizing their wrists before turning on the spot.

**_Our team is dynamite, our team is DYNAMITE! Our team is dynamite, don't mess with dynamite! Their team is dynamite, their team is DYNAMITE! Their team is dynamite, together the fuse will light - AHHH! _Sorry, just a swim team cheer that got stuck in my head after I wrote that part :)**

**I'M BACK, BABY! After many an fits at the computer, an unexpected hibernation while I was typing, and an infuriating password on the only computer I can use that has internet, I have finished this chapter! Yay!**

**If you haven't given up on this story after the long and unexpected hiatus, I would love it if all you lovely readers could forgive me for the problems and find it in your heart to review :D (Remember those days when I was able to update three times a week? *sigh*)**

**As for my reviewers, you guys can't know how good it made me feel to see those reviews. I THINK I responded to all of your reviews, but I apologize if I didn't in the mess. It ended up being several days between each time I checked my inbox, and along with the other emails, I may have missed responding to one of you awesome reviewers :(**

**Sarahrules336, I'mMrRecklessWithACapitalR, Chai Bookworm, ItDidntMeanForever, Lilylily103, juuustpeachy, twilightstargazer, JuJuBugxx, vampire-luver101, lizshadeslayer21, lynnnnyl, BethMalfoy4922, skaterofthebooks, Helli, IllusiveButterfly, Ansy Pansy aka Panz, Dana Al Qattan, Greansea407, Anabeth Jackson, and all of anonymous reviewers: thank you so so so much!**

**Greansea407: I was thinking about writing a story with Lily and Severus before they started Hogwarts, though it would be much shorter than this story. Thanks for that suggestion! I promise to take it into account.**

**Dana Al Qattan: yes, I'm in high school, though I only have one more year left. I really do like that you think so much of my writing, and I am trying to write my own book. (Though there's a probablity that I'll change the name of the protagonist - thanks to Ansy Pansy aka Panz for pointing that out) J.K. Rowling owns the rights to Harry Potter, and I respect her too much to try to print my own version unless she told me I could, though I'm humbled at your words. My goal is to create my own world where I don't have to worry about messing up somebody else's characters, and though I wish I could get it published by the time I graduate, the planning does take a LONG time because if I'm going to publish, I need to make sure I have everything mapped out before the first book. But thank you so much for the review :D If you take the time to review, I promise that I will read it and try my best to respond appropiately.**

**On another note, several of you have pointed out that I let my US upbringing sneak its way into this story. (I know, I suck at catching the more American words. Part of the reason I added the universal Harry Potter words in is because I'm not sure how many people in Britain actually talk like that) I hope I'm not asking too much of you, but if any of my readers in the UK could give me some colloquial words or phrases that I could use or common things you guys know, I would really like that. Plus do you refer to yourselves as British or English or if it doesn't matter because I'm always worried I'm insulting somebody if I write the wrong thing. I'm trying to keep those mistakes to a minimum. **

**I've just realized how out of touch with other peoples' cultures I am. Wow, how arrogant I must make the US sound. **

***Whew* That was a long Author's Note. Once again, I love reviews!**

**Your back on top Muggle,**

**The-Nerd-Who-Isn't-So-Nerdy-After-All**

**PS: I hoped that the dynamite would be interesting enough to make up a little of the hiatus. Was it? **


	64. Settling the Score

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_"Mary, it's me!"_

_"Lily? Thank Merlin, Lily!" Mary breathed rushing forward to pull Lily into a bone-crushing hug. "We were so worried, and – and what the hell was that explosion?" she demanded, frightened and angry at the same time._

_Lily opened her mouth to answer before the tunnel inhaled with a rush of hot air. She looked behind her to see the Shield Charm dissipate, and the firestorm blast towards them with full force._

_"We need to get out of here – _now_!" Rawlings said, racing for the girls and seizing their wrists before turning on the spot._

**Settling the Score**

Lily had always hated the sensation that went along with Apparation, the feeling of somebody forcing her down a giant tube until she felt like her entire body would explode from the pressure, like her very bones were crumbling in her skin – it wasn't any better with her injuries.

Rawlings had taken them to right outside Hogwarts' Anti-Apparation Jinx, and Lily was surprised to see that night had already fallen. She glanced at Hogsmeade in the distance, relieved to see that all traces of the smoke from the Fiendfyre had disappeared. Hopefully the residents were receiving the Ministry's help in rebuilding their livelihood – it was the least the Ministry and Crouch could do after destroying their homes all for the sake of removing an army that was only too easy for Voldemort to rebuild.

"Go quickly," Rawlings said, still breathless. "Madam Pomfrey will wait until you're feeling better to start her little rant that she always says whenever people leave without her permission."

"Aren't you coming with us?" Mary asked.

Rawlings looked at her like she was nuts. "Me? Get close to Pomfrey after what I've done?"

"Oh," Mary said in a small voice, and Lily realized just how enraged the motherly Healer was going to be. It was one thing if students left to sneak around the school with their friends; the Marauders did that all the time. They even had their own beds with jinxes on them to try to prevent that (though that never seemed to work), but they never came back in worse shape.

One glance at Mary's fragile figure told Lily that her friend was not going to leave the Hospital Wing anytime soon, and Lily doubted she looked much better. Merlin, Pomfrey was going to be _furious._

"Besides, I have other things I need to do. Dumbledore is usually short on available people, and St. Mungo's is stretched very thin after the attack," Rawlings said. "We'll see each other again, but right now I'll say good-bye." She Disapparated with a small _pop!_

Lily glanced at Mary. "Do you want to ring the doorbell, or should I?" she asked, and Mary bit her lip.

"We're dead," she said simply.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore was waiting for them. Lily didn't know how he knew or who told him, but he was standing in front of the doors to the Entrance Hall, his silver bread swaying slightly in the breeze and his blue eyes piercing them. Lily knew she should feel guilty, but all she felt was relief that it wasn't Campbell, who no doubt would have sentenced them to a lifetime of cleaning up after Peeves.<p>

"Sage told me you would be here," Dumbledore said quietly as Lily and Mary came to a stop. "She also said to make sure Madam Pomfrey didn't – how did she put it – pummel the two of you into little bits of dust."

Lily said nothing, and Dumbledore smiled.

"While you broke several rules, I think we can allow some forgiveness seeing as we now have Ms. Macdonald back in the castle. Though there is still the matter of talking about why there was an enormous explosion on an island just off the coast of Scotland right before Sage Apparated you here."

Lily swallowed guiltily; she hadn't considered what the Muggles would think if an abandoned mine blew up. The Marauders really were a bad influence on her.

"I'm sorry, sir," Lily finally said while Mary shuffled her feet nervously. "It was the only thing I could think of." To blast Manumali into little bits. While she was sure it was a terrible death for him, Lily couldn't help but feel the relief that he was finally gone. He couldn't hurt any of her friends now.

"No matter. Ms. Macdonald, I am sure Madam Pomfrey will be able to patch you and Ms. Evans up, but I would like a private word with Ms. Evans first. Run along now," Dumbledore said. Mary left but not before giving Lily a worried look.

"Ms. Evans, if you would follow me to my office, please," Dumbledore said, turning around and setting off, leaving Lily no choice but to follow him.

* * *

><p>"MARY!" a voice screeched as soon as Mary walked through the doors to the Hospital Wing. She had expected Alice to be the one who screamed like a banshee, but to her surprise Marlene was the first one to reach her, pulling her into a bone-breaking hug. Alice was close behind.<p>

"We thought you were gone, Mary! When Sirius and Lily told us the Death Eaters had taken you, none of us ever thought we'd see you again, and oh, _Mary!_" Alice yelled, joining the attempt at creating the first life-sized Mary-pancake.

The Marauders hung back around Sirius's bed, looking pleased to see her, but she noticed James in particular looked anxious. He opened his mouth to say something, but Mary was already responding.

"Lily's in Dumbledore's office," she said. "He needed to talk to her about something."

Alice only briefly registered this information before she and Marlene steered her to the bed right next to Sirius. Madam Pomfrey's office doors swung open, and the matron paled at the sight of Mary and her torn school robes that matched the floor of the cell she had been kept in, but she was quick to her side, already tapping her wand and muttering spells.

"Do you know what about?" Marlene asked.

Mary tried to shrug, but a sharp spasm of pain shot through her shoulder. She winced and said, "Considering that Lily demolished half the island, they probably had a _lot _to talk about."

"Wait," Sirius interjected. "She blew up an island." He frowned at first, and then his face slowly stretched into a wide grin. "First the tunnel, now an island? I'm so proud of our little Lily-Flower." He pretended to dab fake tears of joy. "She's finally growing up. And to think how much of a goody-two-shoes she was-"

"Alright," Marlene snapped, "We get it. You've finally corrupted Lily. Now if you don't mind, _I_ would like to hear what happened."

Mary giggled at Sirius's expression before spilling.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore's office was just like Lily remembered it, with the portraits of previous Headmasters and Head mistresses snoozing lightly in their frames while the strange instruments twirled and puffed. Fawkes perched on his normal spot, curiously peering at Lily.<p>

Dumbledore gracefully seated himself behind the grand desk before conjuring a squashy armchair for Lily. She took it with a murmured "thank you."

She shifted as Dumbledore examined her over his fingertips. "I hope you know I am very impressed by your bravery tonight, Ms. Evans," he started.

Lily only nodded silently. She sensed that the compliment wasn't the reason Dumbledore had brought her up here.

"Unfortunately, so is Lord Voldemort," he continued, and Lily winced at what she knew was coming. "You have now managed to survive an encounter with Bellatrix Lestrange, Fiendfyre, an army of inferi, and several duels with Francis Manumali, not to mention the countless times you've beat his other Death Eaters."

"He was going after James as well," Lily said quietly, twisting her hands in her lap as the guilt wracked her. "Him and Voldemort – he told me."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrow. "Indeed?"

Lily ducked her head as she said, "Last year when the Dementors attacked, I was having trouble producing a happy memory, and the only person I could see was James…" Lily trailed off. She had said enough that Dumbledore would understand.

"I will take that into account, Ms. Evans, but rest assured that while Mr. Potter is here in Hogwarts, he will be safe. I will inform his parents, and they will take the appropriate action once the year is over."

Lily just nodded again.

"In the meantime I am more concerned about Voldemort's interest in you. It takes a remarkable amount of quick-thinking and skill to survive Fiendfyre. Most wizards cannot escape with their lives, let alone an unqualified witch. I am willing to bet that come this summer, he will be looking for you."

Dumbledore went silent once again.

Lily felt chills race up her spine at his words, and she waited several seconds before saying, "So what can I do about it?"

Dumbledore smiled briefly. "For now, enjoy your life here at Hogwarts. I do not want you going home for Christmas, and I believe Ms. Macdonald would do well to heed that advice as well. I will set up some precautions for when you return home this summer. That is it for now; please, return to the Hospital Wing or Madam Pomfrey will have my head."

Lily, recognizing the dismissal, nodded and left for the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey would no doubt be ready to heal and scold at the same time, but she stopped just before reaching the door, a thought nagging the back of her mind.

"Sir," she asked. "Is Manumali dead?"

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "The blast was incredibly powerful. Any unfortunate stranglers too slow to erect defenses have vaporized or burned beyond recognition. With a little luck, Manumali is one of those few, but luck has an uncanny knack for vanishing when we need it the most."

* * *

><p>"When will you kids ever learn?" Madam Pomfrey growled as she steered Lily to her bed. "A couple more stays, and you'll be close to the record."<p>

"Don't you dare take away my bragging rights, Lily-Bean," Sirius threatened, and Lily shook her head, grateful at least one of them could still joke after everything that had happened. Besides, she should have known one of the Marauders held the record for spending the most time in the Hospital Wing – and no doubt the other three placed second, third, and fourth.

Alice's loud cheer had been enough to draw Madam Pomfrey from her office, so before any of them could ask Lily to fill in the missing parts to Mary's story, she was back in her bed next to Sirius with Mary on his other side. The matron mended Lily's ribs and arm with a tap of her wand, and after several minutes and five different potions later, Madam Pomfrey was back in her office.

As soon as her door closed, Alice started yapping, "What on earth happened to you? How did you escape? Where's Sage? What happened to-"

"Did you really blow up an island?" Peter eagerly asked, leaning forward and chewing his nails.

Lily bit her lip, nodding. Peter let out a cheer while Sirius reached across to playfully punch her shoulder. "It was the only distraction I could think of," she protested weakly. "I didn't _want _to use the dynamite!"

Remus did a double-take while everybody save Mary looked confused. "You used _dynamite_?" he spluttered. "Enough to demolish a whole island-"

"Half an island," Lily mumbled.

"Mary said you were separated – how did you light the fuse and get away in time?" Remus asked.

James stepped between them, holding up his hands. "Hold on, back up. What in the name of Merlin is dynamite?"

"We were at an abandoned Muggle mine," Lily explained. She couldn't make herself look into James's hazel eyes as she spoke; there was no telling what she would do. Thanks to her, Manumali was now hunting him as well. Instead she focused on speaking to Remus. "Dynamite is an explosive – it's like the Blasting Curse, but you have to light the fuse on fire, and only when the little flame reaches the dynamite will it explode."

Remus tilted his head curiously, glancing between her and James with a pointed look, but Lily shook her head the smallest fraction of an inch.

Sirius whistled. "Prongs, you and me have _got _to our hands on dynamite."

"NO!" Remus, Lily, and Mary had yelled the word at the same time. Sirius jumped, startled by the force behind their words.

"It's not because I don't want you breaking rules, but dynamite is deadly. It's like using a manticore to scare a couple of little kids," Remus said while Mary nodded vigorously. "The Muggles use it to tunnel their way through mountains."

Sirius looked at Lily, as if he was hoping she would be a little bit more considerate, but her steely glower matched her expression when she lashed out at them after the OWLs incident. "Sirius Black, if you so much as think about using dynamite, so help me Merlin I will tie you up in a meat sack and throw you to the chimeras after force-feeding you Skele-Grow."

Sirius gulped and said, "Okay, okay, forget the dynamite."

Satisfied, Lily turned back to Remus to answer the original question. "There was a little chute I was able to slide down when I lit the fuse. I used a Shield Charm to contain the flames while I ran for Mary and Sage, but they didn't last long. Sage Apparated us away in the nick of time."

Peter was hanging on to her every word, gaping at her, completely awe-struck. "Wow," he breathed.

* * *

><p>"Remus, can I talk to you?" Lily asked, glancing around for any eavesdroppers. She had finally been discharged from the Hospital Wing two days ago, though Mary still needed another day before Madam Pomfrey deemed her ready.<p>

The only people in the common room were two first years quietly pouring over the latest edition of _Witch Weekly_, a rowdy group of fifth year boys playing Exploding Snap, and Alice and Frank snuggled in a secluded corner, but Lily doubted Alice and Frank were even aware of their surroundings.

Remus glanced up from his book; no other Marauders remained in the common room, but Lily knew they had many tricks up their sleeves. She doubted they didn't have ways to spy on people.

"What is it?" he asked curiously. Lily noticed that the bags under his eyes were much more apparent, and his skin had much more color a week ago. Was a full moon approaching? She still hadn't confronted Remus about his lycanthropy.

As a general rule for her first five years at Hogwarts, she tried to stay far away from the Marauders as the castle would allow (though admittedly they had grown on her in the past several months). The girls were always her go-to people for advice, but Lily knew they would say the exact thing she didn't want to hear, not to mention Alice was currently very preoccupied with Frank's lips and probably wouldn't be available until the morning.

"Somewhere besides here," Lily said in a low voice.

Perplexed, Remus set his book down and followed Lily out of the common room and down the hall where a painting of several drunkards snored loudly on a tabled full of empty whiskey bottles.

"You know James better than anybody," Lily said the moment she was sure they were out of earshot. She couldn't contain the nervousness in her, and if Remus had been anybody else, he would have laughed.

"Aside from Sirius, I like to think so," Remus said, sitting on one of the window ledges. In the moonlight, Remus looked much older than sixteen. "What's this about? If you got a crush on James, you would be talking to Alice – or more likely Marlene since Alice is busy at the moment."

Lily bit her lip and stared out into the night sky. "It's not like that," she said slowly, picking her words carefully. "It's about something that happened when I fought Manumali."

Remus raised his eyebrow. "And?"

Lily hesitated, wondering how to start. "Voldemort taught Manumali Legilimency a little while ago. Before I escaped, Manumali broke into my mind." She glanced at Remus. He paled at Lily's words but nodded for her to go on. "Do you remember when the Dementor attacked us in fifth year?"

"I try not to think about it, but yes, I remember," Remus said, shivering at the memory.

"I cast the Patronus Charm to repel it. For me to successfully cast the Patronus, I needed a happy memory. Manumali forced me to relive that night, searching my mind for the happy memory, but I didn't use a happy memory that night."

"Wait, but then how come you were able to cast the Patronus?"

"I couldn't come up with a happy memory," Lily admitted. "But James was there."

Realization dawned on Remus's face, and Lily blushed a deep red, knowing the first thing he would think.

"I couldn't see anybody else, so in order to cast the Patronus, I used James, but Manumali found out, and while the explosion most likely killed him, two other Death Eaters were there, and now Voldemort knows. He's going to hunt him down all because of me, and I don't know what to do. Dumbledore knows, but how do I-" Lily was ranting by the end, and Remus calmed her down before tears of frustration could start falling.

"Lily, James is a Potter, one of the biggest bunch of blood traitors in the Wizarding World," Remus said. "His family is already a target with or without you. Mr. Potter had been working against the pure-blood supremacists since before any of us were even born. Thanks to his contribution along with several other prominent families, they were already on Voldemort's radar long before you came into the picture. It's not you're fault that the Death Eaters are giving them more attention than the rest of us."

Lily stared at him. He would give Marlene a run for her money as the voice of reason. "You really think so?" She suddenly hugged Remus.

"You're still going to need to tell James what happened, but first things first," Remus said.

Lily stepped back, lost. "What?"

"You need to break things off with Terry. You haven't talked to him for over a week now, and honestly? I wouldn't even know if you two were dating unless Peter reminded James every time you come up."

Lily sniffled. Terry was good, but Remus was right. The last time they had talked was ten days ago, and she hadn't even thought about him until now. "Do you think Terry would still be friends? He's as loyal as they come, and I would hate to never see Hannah," she said.

Remus chuckled. "Truthfully? I think he's considering the same thing."

* * *

><p>Lily would never doubt Remus again.<p>

Terry was not surprised when Lily took him aside to tell him, saying that he was going to do it himself if Lily didn't. For the past several months, they rarely had time for sneaking away, and over the past week, they had only seen each other twice. Neither left the conversation upset, and Lily was grateful they were still on friendly terms.

The only bad thing: she could barely go five minutes without Alice saying 'I told you so' to anybody within earshot. She noticed James at the end of the table looking much happier than usual, but she still felt the sense of foreboding when she looked at him, Manumali's words echoing in her ears. The only other damper was that Remus was nowhere to be seen.

However, at dinner, the good mood plummeted when Mary revealed depressing news.

"Grandmamma wants to take me out of school," she said, toying with her bacon. She slumped against the table while Alice coughed purposefully.

"What? Why?"

"After the Hogsmeade attack and my capture, she doesn't want me around this place," Mary said. "It really frightened her, and now she's told my parents."

"But Hogwarts is safer than any place in the world right now!" Marlene protested. "Dumbledore's here!"

"I know, but Grandmamma is trying to convince Mum and Dad to get out of the country; she wants me to come with," Mary replied dejectedly, now nibbling on her pancakes. "They haven't made any decisions yet, but everybody is leaving tomorrow for Christmas, and I'm trying my hardest to stall her."

"I can help you," Marlene said adamantly.

"You have a letter, Lily," Alice said, glancing up at an unfamiliar owl covered in black feathers swooping towards Lily. The owl dropped the letter and flew away before Lily could pay it. "Strange. The owl probably should have waited until tomorrow morning – what's it say?" Alice asked, swallowing the last bit of her marmalade.

A dried red liquid splattered the letter. Fingers trembling with fear, Lily tore open the letter, a small part of her whispering that she didn't want to know the contents of the letter, but nevertheless, she started to read the old-fashioned, slanted handwriting.

_Dear Lily,_

_You're good, I'll give you that, but not as good as me. The little trick you pulled at the island was smart but totally expected. It takes much more to kill me than one little Muggle contraption. You should know better than that._

_You can cower in that moldy old castle as long as you like, but word to the wise, you should remember to never focus on one person at a time. Go ahead, continue to worry about your little friend, but know that I have already obtained my revenge. You will forever remain ignorant to just how far I will go. You insulted my master, and the appropriate person paid for it._

_And sorry about the blood – I had a little too much fun visiting your mother, and things got a little out of hand. Decapitation is a very messy business, particularly when your mother still struggled after I nailed her to the wall, not to mention the blade was rather dull, and it took longer than I expected. I had no idea those filthy pieces of scum had such colorful words. Tut-tut on it, but I can see where you got your charm from._

_Oh well, it's all for the entertainment, right?_

_I expect to see you soon, my sweet flower._

**Hello again, my lovely readers :)**

**As always, I'm asking you to review. You know how much I love them *wink, wink, hint, hint, nudge, nudge* Tell me what you think! Reviews, reviews, reviews!**

**Thanks: Sarahrules336, Lilyevansfan, vampire-luver101, Helli, Jayfeather03, karendu.97, I'mMrRecklessWithACapitalR, twilightstargazer, HarryPotterFan, emilylovessiriusblack, skaterofthebooks, ItDidntMeanForever, Chai Bookworm, and all of the anonymous reviewers. Heart you all :D:D:D:D:D**

**BTW: in response to some of your questions regarding where I've been, let's just say that my ancient box of wires is very infuriating. Though there a bunch of other reasons, I'll just leave it at that :)**

**Your heart-ing Muggle,**

**Nerds-Always-Have-Hearty-Meals-Except-For-The-Nerd-Currently-Typing-This-Long-Name**

**AN: Keep the victims of the Colorado massacre in your prayers tonight. My heart goes out to all of them and their families.**


	65. Love and Hate

Previously on _The Sun Still Rises:_

_Dear Lily,_

_You're good, I'll give you that, but not as good as me. The little trick you pulled at the island was smart but totally expected. It takes much more to kill me than one little Muggle contraption. You should know better than that._

_You can cower in that moldy old castle as long as you like, but word to the wise, you should remember to never focus on one person at a time. Go ahead, continue to worry about your little friend, but know that I have already obtained my revenge. You will forever remain ignorant to just how far I will go. You insulted my master, and the appropriate person paid for it._

_And sorry about the blood – I had a little too much fun visiting your mother, and things got a little out of hand. Decapitation is a very messy business, particularly when your mother still struggled after I nailed her to the wall, not to mention the blade was rather dull, and it took longer than I expected. I had no idea those filthy pieces of scum had such colorful words. Tut-tut, I can see where you got your charm from._

_Oh well, it's all for the entertainment, right?_

_I expect to see you soon, my sweet flower._

**Love and Hate**

James had never felt happier. Every one of his friends, after much painful and suspenseful waiting, had escaped the Hogsmeade attack relatively unscathed, though he suspected it would take a while for the less obvious scars to heal. They defeated Death Eaters and hundreds of inferi, and Lily was no longer dating Terry Abbott. Why wouldn't he be happy?

Peter ripped open the _Prophet _the second the owl had landed in front of him, and turned to the page still covering the attack. His eyes moved back and forth so quickly James wondered if he even saw the black and white.

"St. Mungo's still has three Aurors confined to bed with injuries, but people are already rebuilding the village. Here's something: 'They found a tunnel underneath Zonko's Joke Shop'." Here Peter's eyes flickered to Sirius who was gobbling down drumstick after drumstick. "'But the tunnel had caved in, and after several tries, Ministry officials had declared it too unsafe to try to moved the rubble'…"

"Wonder where that could lead," James muttered sarcastically, spearing a piece of steak with his knife while his fork lay untouched.

"I still can't believe you collapsed my favorite passageway," Peter whined.

Sirius swallowed and replied in a harsh voice, "Wormtail, it was either a passageway or the entire castle. Now quit complaining."

Peter flushed and ducked his head; James aimed a kick at Sirius under the table, scowling at him.

He lowered his voice drastically as he said, "I already talked to Remus, and he said we needed to wait a little longer because some Ministry people are staying here until ten to talk to Dumbledore. I would say we leave some time around midnight."

Peter gulped and nodded, glancing around nervously.

"Who's owl is that?" Sirius asked, pointing with his fifth drumstick to a small, black owl swooping down. He wasn't the only one who stared; owl post during dinner time was incredibly rare for anybody. James watched as it flew down and dropped the letter in front of Lily, who had been sitting with the rest of the Gryffindor girls at the end of the table closest to the door.

"Five galleons says it bad news," Peter whispered, and Sirius rolled his eyes.

"That's a given, Wormtail."

At the end of the table, Lily glanced around before opening the letter with trembling. As she read it, her face slowly drained of blood so that her freckles, usually so faint nobody noticed them, stood out against her pale skin, as obvious as her bright green eyes.

Beside James, Sirius craned his neck to get a better look at her from around James's arm.

"What's going on?" Peter asked quietly.

* * *

><p>The entire hall was silent as a tomb as Lily reread the last part, as dread and grief like she had never known seized her; she forgot to breathe as Alice yanked the letter from her hands and scanned it herself.<p>

"Oh, no…" she gasped, holding her hand up to her mouth as she let Marlene and Mary read it.

Lily barely heard Alice, but she was aware of everybody staring at the four of them. She unwittingly glanced up at the Slytherin table. Most of the Slytherins were as curious as the rest of the hall, but she found Mulciber sitting next to Wilkes, and he smirked as he caught Lily's eye.

Lily snapped her head around and stared at her plate. Mulciber knew exactly what the content of the letter was, and Lily fought to keep her dinner down. She clenched her fists; no matter what happened, she would not cry in front of Mulciber and the rest of the Slytherins, but she could feel the tears coming on hot and fast, her control slipping from her grasp like a Diricawl escaping from Muggles.

Alice called her name, but Lily was already out of the Great Hall. She walked quickly, but the moment the doors were out of sight, she broke into a sprint. She didn't care where she went – all Lily wanted to do was get away from prying eyes.

The setting sun softly lit the grounds, giving the trampled snow an orange glow, casting long shadows. Lily glanced behind her, relieved to see that nobody followed her. She was all alone. The bitter cold bit at her exposed skin, but she was too numb to feel much for than a brush of air against her skin.

She noticed smoke in the distance, coming from the gamekeeper's hut, and the Forbidden Forest loomed from behind it. She took off in the opposite direction, heading for the greenhouses.

Her mother was dead, tortured and broken, only as punishment for defying Manumali and almost killing him. Silently whispering, "_Alohomora,_" she slipped into the greenhouse, wandering to where a patch of green grass on the ground was. There was no holding back the tears now, and Lily sank to the ground against the wall of the greenhouse, curling up and sobbing.

Why? Why did have to be her mother? Her sweet mother, who had always tried to reconcile her and Petunia and had been the one to comfort her after a fight…she never deserved to die. The only reason she had met the terrible end was because of Lily.

Lily stared out past the open door into the dark forest with snow-covered treetops, tears cascading down her cheeks – it shouldn't have been her mother.

It should have been her.

* * *

><p>Slowly the babble broke out in the hall, now much more serious than before. James watched as Marlene and Mary ran out into the hall after Lily, but James knew that if Lily didn't want anybody to find her, Marlene and Mary would never catch up. The two girls confirmed his suspicions when they returned to Alice, who had remained seated at the end of the table.<p>

"That can't be good," Peter said, and James didn't do anything when Sirius snapped at him. No longer the center of attention, Alice rose and exited the hall; James followed. Marlene and Mary didn't even notice him pass them, as they were in deep conversation.

He spotted Alice's blond curls heading towards the courtyard, and he ran to catch up to her.

"Alice! Hey, Alice!" James yelled.

Alice stopped and whirled on the spot. Tears trickled down her face, and her voice quivered as she asked, "Yes?"

"What happened?" he asked.

Alice glanced around before handing him the letter in response. "Manumali killed Mrs. Evans in retaliation for the island. We thought he would've died in the blast, but his master taught him a couple of tricks. He sent Lily the letter with her mother's blood on it."

James instinctively jerked his left hand away from the small stain in the corner as he read the letter, disgusted. "When?"

"Since Dumbledore hasn't talked to Lily yet, I don't think anybody's found her body yet. Soon enough Mr. Evans and her sister will come home," Alice said in a monotone. "There's no way we can warn them fast enough. It takes hours for letters to go between Hogwarts and her house, so her father has probably found her by now."

James didn't want to imagine the horror of Lily's father coming home to find his wife nailed to the wall with her head several feet away in a pool of blood.

"Where is she?" James asked after several seconds.

Alice shrugged. "I don't know. Normally she's in the library, but if she wants to be alone, she prefers to find a secluded spot outside, but if she doesn't want to be found, she won't be found."

"I know where to look," James said, starting for the dormitory where it was hidden. He was never more grateful for the Map then now, but-

"Wait," Alice said. James stopped and looked at Alice. She gazed up at him with a sort of reluctant defeat. "When you find her, if you make things worse with that big mouth, you'll have me to answer to," she said, no sign of bluffing.

James just nodded and ran up to his dormitory; with the number of shortcuts he used and running up all stairs three at a time, he made it up there in record time. Nobody but some nerdy fifth years were up in the common room, but their noses were plastered in volumes that were three inches thick. James ignored them, and they ignored him.

He started rummaging through Sirius's trunk. To any onlooker, the boys' dormitory was a disaster zone save the little circle around Remus's bunk, but to James everything was right where it should be. His fingers brushed against parchment, and he withdrew the Marauder's Map.

Tapping it, he whispered, "_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good._" Like always, the black lines spread to create the familiar outline of the castle. Remembering Alice's words, he scanned the grounds first.

_Lily Evans._

Her dot was, as Alice predicted, inside the greenhouses. James could only imagine how peaceful that spot would be at sunset with nobody around, but he doubted that Lily spent that much time picking her little hiding space.

"_Mischief managed,_" he said, tapping the Map a second time.

* * *

><p>The beautiful flowers hid in the tall grass, but they were there all the same, just as Lily's sorrow was there, regardless of what she did to try to cover it. She twirled a blade of grass between her index finger and thumb, unable to erase the images haunting her: her mother's head rolling on the floor, her poor father coming home to the sight of his wife nailed to the wall, blood everywhere, and him…<p>

Francis Manumali.

During fourth and fifth year, she thought she detested the Marauders, but now, compared to her hatred of Manumali, it was barely more than a flicker of annoyance. The rage started to smolder in her, though it was far from erasing her grief. Lily started shredding the blades of grass while her tears still poured down her cheeks, pretending that she was ripping Manumali from head to toe – it was more than he deserved.

Lily heard soft footsteps to her side, and she snapped her head around; the greenhouses should have provided solitude until the next day when classes would start, but James, with all of his tricks, had managed to find her much sooner than she expected.

Lily looked back out over the grounds and asked, "How did you know where I was?" Her voice was surprisingly steady, despite the chaos rolling around within her.

James seated himself next to her before answering. "Marauder's secret, Lily. Can't tell you."

Lily smiled, dropping her eyes to the remaining shreds of grass in her hands. "Of course," she breathed almost silently. Lily let the bits of grass fall through her fingers before spotting a flower just a little ways away. She gingerly picked it up, examining it. It was the same kind of flower she had shown Petunia right before she met Snape. Holding it in her palm, she raised her head to glance at James; he was looking at her cautiously, as if he was nervous how to proceed.

"You once asked me why I didn't ever give you a chance," Lily said tracing the flower with her middle finger. She peeked at James from beneath her lashes, and he looked surprised at the change of topic. "After OWLs," she explained.

James bit his lip. "It's fine. I get it – I was a bit of a prick, wasn't I?"

"Understatement of the century," Lily muttered, and he chuckled. "When Sirius and I were stuck in the attic of Dervish and Bangs, during the Hogsmeade attack, we both agreed that since we thought we would both die, we might as well tell each other one thing we've never told anybody else." Once again she glanced at James, and his face was impassive.

"And?"

Lily sighed. "I don't like change."

"That's it?" James asked, surprised.

Lily nodded. "I've never had anything in my life remain constant: my sister, Severus, my entire life. I've been trying hard to keep _something _in my life the same, and hating you and the rest of the Marauders seemed the easiest way." Here she looked at James to gauge his reaction.

He remained impassive, staring out at Hagrid's hut and the forest beyond. "Did you hate me?" he asked quietly.

"I thought I did," she responded.

"But?"

Lily inhaled deeply. "But I realize that it was only intense dislike of your little pranks. It was never hate."

The two were silent after that. Lily had never appreciated just how beautiful the sunset was as the sun continued to sink lower and lower in the red and orange sky; this could be her last one, or it could be next week. Manumali had shown her just how quickly Death could strike, leaving nothing but a terrible heartache and a burning need for revenge in its wake.

"I didn't know you had a sister," James finally said.

Lily raised an eyebrow. It was her turn to be surprised. To her, Petunia was very obvious, with all the arguments they had over the summers and how obviously different the two of them were, but she had never considered that James didn't even know she had a sister, and it wasn't like she advertised the fact.

"Sister isn't really the term I would use – I haven't had a sister since I was nine years old," Lily said. "Blood and my parents are the only things we have in common anymore. Alice is the closest thing I have to a sister."

"Why when you were nine?" James asked.

Lily bit her lip, knowing that James wouldn't like her answer, but she said it anyways. "Because that was when I met Severus."

She heard a sharp intake of breath. "Oh, so you and Snape-"

"James, he was the first person to introduce me to this world. Every day until September 1st, we would talk about what we would do once we got here. Petunia hated me, and Severus's parents were – well, anyways he was my one link to the Wizarding world. He was truly my best friend, just like you and the rest of the Marauders."

A mixture of emotions crossed his face, ranging from surprise to shame to anger, and he said, "I never knew that you and him were that close." Were Lily's ears decieving her, or did she detect a hint of jealousy?

Lily focused on the flower in her palm, flashing back to that day in the park. Everybody had told her that the more experienced she became, the harder it would be to perform accidental magic, but the magic she had used that day wasn't accidental. Could she still do it?

Lily closed her eyes, focusing the magic through her arm, just as she had done when she was nine. Opening her eyes, she saw the flower opening and closing its petals, identical to the other flower. A small tinkling giggle escaped as the flower now hovered above her palm.

"How'd you do that?" James asked.

Not taking her eyes off the flower, she answered, "When I was younger I tried many different things; this was one of the things that freaked Tuney out the most." Gently, she lifted her hand, and the flower spiraled into the air, heading towards the forest where it disappeared behind the treetops. "It wasn't accidental magic back then – I meant to do that, and I just wondered if I could still do it."

She looked at James who was watching the flower vanish from sight with a small smile on his lips.

…_I'll be moving on to your friend _next_…_

Manumali's threat loomed overhead, erasing everything else. He had killed her mother, but Lily knew he still wasn't done with his spree yet, and James was on the top of his list…

"Lily?"

She shook her head, not realizing she had been staring. If anything happened to him because of her, she would never be able to forgive herself.

"What is it?" James prodded.

"He's targeting you," Lily said quietly. She looked at him, nervous to see his reaction.

"What do you mean?"

"You're on Manumali's list, James. He's coming after you. I don't know when or how, all I know is that he's coming. When the Death Eaters attacked the castle in fifth year, I couldn't think of any happy memories; they were taking them. You were the only person I was aware of and the reason I could conjure the Patronus, only Manumali found out with his Legilimency, and because of me…" The tears that were absent when James came started again, and she choked on the guilt.

James remain silent through her rambling, and Lily looked up only to see that he was trying very hard to contain a smile. "Why are you smiling?"

"Am I really your happy thought?"

Lily suddenly felt the weight of what she had said, though she didn't think James could ignore the hanging threat of Manumali no matter what she said, but his smile contradicted what she thought. Without meaning to, Lily blushed a deep red. "So?" she weakly challenged.

James opened his mouth to respond, but voices calling out Lily's name reached them from a distance. She realized just how late it was.

"What will I tell them?" she asked.

"I'll come up with an excuse if you get up to the common room," James said, standing up. "Filch'll be looking for you; are you going to talk to the girls?"

Lily nodded mutely, and James gave her a sad smile. "You should head up to the common room. I'll deal with Filch if you don't want to. Just make sure you get back to the castle."

"I'll go once Filch is on the other side of the castle," she promised.

James stood there for a moment, lost as to what to say until he settled on, "See you in the morning, Lily." With that, he took off to catch the people before curfew.

Lily should have followed, but the sense of refuge James had provided earlier vanished along with him. The full weight of what happened flooded back, and Lily couldn't move. She just wanted to sit there forever, wallowing the pool of grief that was refusing to give her a break.

Images flew through her mind: her first spell with Snape in her bedroom, her Sorting, her mother's Christmas fudge, the Fiendfyre barreling towards her and Sirius…

She didn't know how long she sat there as the tears silently flowed, but she knew it was now well past curfew. She could see through the open door that the sky was pitch black – not even the stars were out – and she curled up in the soft bed of grass, barely noticing the weariness unexpectedly creeping up on her.

It had been one of the longest days of her life, and she welcomed the sleep, unknowingly drifting into a restless slumber while the full moon glittered overhead.

**...Wicked Witch of the West laugh... **

**Hellooooo! I'm sorry. I know I told some of you I would have it up by Sunday, but I got my computer taken away :(**

**And I'm surprised by how many people thought it might have been a trick that Lily's mother died, so let me just set the record straight: yes, Francis Manumali killed Rose Evans in the gruesome way he described. She is dead. She is not magically coming back.**

**Anywhos, that scene between Lily and James is one of the very first, if not THE first scene I thought about, including the original version I had to take down. You have no idea how much I was looking forward to writing that. And now it is up for you lovelies to read! I hope you liked it :)**

**OMM! 28 REVIEWS! You guys just make my day. Thanks to those awesome 28 reviewers: loony4luna, Bia Faeti, Washingtonwizard, RecklessAbandon777, Helli, Infinity Lily, Percy Jaclyn, tawnyangel, lizshadeslayer21, Jayfeather03, Sarahrules336, grace, BethMalfoy4922, Nikkilove013, twilightstargazer, MissMaryLiz, I'mMrRecklessWithACapitalR, Chai Bookworm, snookieEL, JuJuBugxx, HarryPotterFan, ClamatiWP, ccCurlyQ33, skaterofthebooks, and all of the anonymous reviewers :D:D:D:D:D:D LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!**

** To whoever asked me to update before you weren't able to use a computer for weeks: I'm not sure if you've left yet, but I did try to get it up as soon as I could, but like I said, my computer got taken away for a week.**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**Your running out of names Muggle,**

**Geeky-Nerd**

**PS: I haven't even started senior year, and already I have a bad case of Senioritis. **

**PPS: I just realized that the seasons didn't match with Christmas just around the corner for Lily, so I changed a couple of words around. No biggie, but I'll try to keep the re-editting to a minimum. Sorry.**


	66. The Marauders' Secret

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_Lily should have followed, but the sense of refuge James had provided earlier vanished along with him. The full weight of what happened flooded back, and Lily couldn't move. She just wanted to sit there forever, wallowing the pool of grief that was refusing to give her a break._

_Images flew through her mind: her first spell with Snape in her bedroom, her Sorting, her mother's Christmas fudge, the Fiendfyre barreling towards her and Sirius…_

_She didn't know how long she sat there as the tears silently flowed, but she knew it was well past curfew. The sky was now was pitch black – not even the stars were out – and she curled up in the soft bed of grass, barely noticing the weariness unexpectedly creeping up on her._

_It had been one of the longest days of her life, and she welcomed the sleep, unknowingly drifting into a restless slumber while the full moon glittered overhead._

**The Marauders' Secret**

James peaked around the corner, glancing right and left before withdrawing his Invisibility Cloak and throwing it over the three of them. The full moon was already up, and James doubted that Remus was still in his human form. They were already running late.

Peter tripped once or twice, but nobody was around save a Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff walking past the Marauders and hiding in a broom closet. Beside him, Sirius gagged.

"Merlin, does she need to have that bad of taste in guys? If she needs somebody to snog, why not-"

James elbowed him and hissed, "Shut it, Padfoot. Now's not the time."

Moving as one, they quietly moved along the dark corridors while portraits snoozed in the moonlight. Dark grey clouds promising a snowstorm loomed in the distance, but they kept moving forward. Remus had suffered long enough.

Once past the doors of the Entrance Hall, a blast of cold air attacked them, and the cloak flapped in the wind. He wondered how Lily could have been so oblivious to frigid air because James still shivered even with the added protection of his jacket.

"I-I-It's so c-c-c-cold," Peter said, frantically rubbing his hands on his arms.

"No kidding, Wormtail. You're only wearing a shirt and pants. Didn't you think to bring something warm?" Sirius asked, appraising Peter's poor choice of wardrobe with a critical eye.

"Lily Evans was outside with barely more than I have. I thought that if she could handle it then-"

"Then you could handle it," James and Sirius finished for him, and Peter blushed, mumbling something inaudible.

"Pete, it's almost Christmas. How stupid do you have to be to-" Sirius started, but James interrupted him.

"Padfoot!" he hissed, stepping on his foot.

James glanced over at the barely noticeable greenhouses in the distance, the memories surfacing, sheer joy coupled with pity and sadness. He had liked to think that the reason why Lily hardly cried was because he was there to distract her, but at the same time the shock probably hadn't sunk in for her.

But he was her happy thought, and that was much better than James could have ever hoped for – no matter what she said, he would always know that deep down, she felt _something _for him. However, what exactly that was remained a secret to him.

The Whomping Willow shook its branches in the distance, and James could see the snow in the moonlight, slowly fluttering to the ground. It stood there, innocent-looking and poised to strike while the Marauders stealthily crept towards the base of the trunk.

"You know what to do," James whispered, and Peter nodded. He closed his eyes, and only brief seconds followed before he rapidly shrunk into a rat, and the streak of brown raced across the snow. The Whomping Willow threateningly raised its branches, but Peter pressed his wrinkly paw against the knot in the trunk, and the Whomping Willow froze. Stuffing his Invisibility Cloak out of sight, James and Sirius hurried down the tunnel that they knew so well.

* * *

><p>"<em>Come on, Tuney! We'll miss it!"<em>

"_Lily, I don't think we should," Petunia said, looking uncertainly at the Ferris Wheel. She clutched her candyfloss tight in her left hand, looking up at the ride, terrified while Lily pulled her right hand towards it._

_The other people around her were blurred, as if they were coming and going so fast that Lily couldn't distinguish between them. The mumbo-jumbo of the chatter flowed around the air, but all Lily could do was focus on the ride looming in front of her, the circus lights inviting her and her sister into them._

"_No, Lily, don't do it," Petunia protested, clasping Lily's hand and refusing to let go. Lily pulled and pulled, but Petunia's grip was too strong. It was like trying to free her arm from a thousand grindylows; it was impossible to free herself without her wand._

"_Tuney? What are you doing? Let me go – let me GO!" Lily yelled, and with a final tug she slipped from her sister's grasp, falling from the force. _

_Petunia smirked at the sight of her sprawled on the ground. Fear started to creep up on Lily as she looked around at the passing throng of people for her parents, but she saw nobody familiar._

"_Go on, Lily. Go on the ride, but I refuse to go on it with you. If you do this, we will no longer be sisters," she snarled, gesturing to the ride that no longer seemed so inviting. The lights flickered, as if it was still desperately trying to stay working, and Lily scrambled to her feet, looking between the ride and her sister._

"_Tuney-" Lily started, confused at her sudden change of demeanor, but her sister had already disappeared. The only sign that her sister was ever there was a small pile of candyfloss. "Tuney!" she cried but to no avail. Her sister had simply vanished among the people, just one of many._

_Lily had no choice. Taking a deep breath, she headed for the ride. If she could get to the top, maybe she would have a chance at spotting Petunia. She was all alone, nobody to help her, so she did the only thing she could: she walked right up to the man operating the Ferris Wheel._

"_I would like to ride this," she said, and the man glanced over at her before silently nodding. He opened the gate, and Lily walked through it only to see that the lights were not flickering. The flickers were people, silhouettes fighting other silhouettes. All over the ride Lily could see the mayhem. _

_She glanced back, but the man was gone. Instead there was a large creaking noise, and Lily looked up to see the Ferris Wheel falling, tons of metal collapsing into a great big pile of scraps and fragments. She raised her head to see a large beam plummeting through the air, right for her…_

Bam!

Lily opened her eyes, expecting to see the Ferris Wheel crashing down on her, only to see the snow fluttering past the open door. She had never been more thankful for the warming spells Sprout put on all but one of her greenhouses where she grew weird plants that liked the cold. It was just like watching the snow from the other side of the window with a cozy fire except that she sat in a soft bed of grass looking out an open door.

Though Lily was still disoriented and had a kink in her neck from the way she had dozed, it was very quiet, very peaceful-

Save for the one long howl that pierced the night.

* * *

><p>James cantered through the tunnel, relishing the joy of speeding along the ground with the large black dog right with him. Peter had scurried along to press the knot, and Moony snarled and snapped, racing for the exit that meant freedom for the wolf.<p>

The small circle of dark sky up ahead grew larger and larger until the three of them burst out onto the snow-covered grounds. The moonlight reflected brightly against everything: the white snow, the castle windows, but the brightest thing were Moony's eyes – yellow orbs that searched the grounds, snapping his head from side to side in search of human prey.

As usual, Moony ran for the doors to the Entrance Hall where the human scent was the strongest, but James was ready. He leaped in front of Moony, using his antlers to press him the other way. Roaring furiously, Moony swiped at James with his wicked sharp, three-inch long claws, but James pranced away from him before ramming Moony again. Sirius jumped on Moony from behind, taunting him into following, which usually worked.

Moony let loose one shriek and started after him. Sirius headed for the forest, their normal hideout, and James followed, careful to keep himself between Moony and the doors. Barking, Sirius turned tail and sprinted across the grounds.

James expected the wolf to follow, like usual, but suddenly Moony lifted his long snout into the air, sniffing frantically. Slowly, Moony followed his nose and started for the greenhouses. Sirius growled and bounded in front of the wolf, lips lifted into a snarl. The sudden change in Moony's behavior could only mean one thing: a human was close.

It rarely ever happened since the Marauders were the only ones crazy enough to regularly be out after curfew. With Sirius distracting Moony, James risked a glance in the direction of the greenhouses. Somebody was standing right outside the door, staring at them with terror; somebody with dark red hair and emerald green eyes that sparkled nearly as bright as the snow.

* * *

><p>Lily leaped to her feet at the sudden and shrill wail, her drowsiness disappearing and quickly replaced by an acute fear. Her wand was already in her hand as she cautiously approached the door. A gust of icy snow and wind buffeted her face and blew her hair back, giving her a clear view of three large shapes in the distance.<p>

Lily's eyes flickered to the sky where she could clearly see the full moon glitter in the sky, seemingly innocent yet so treacherous. Swearing under her breath, Lily crouched behind the wall where she could still keep an eye on the shapes in the distance. It was too far away for her to see them clearly, but if the howl was any indication, she was willing to bet her wand that at least one of the silhouettes was a werewolf, and chances were it was Remus.

Guttural roaring reached Lily, and she knew it was only a matter of time before the werewolf – she tried not to think of the wolf as Remus – sniffed her out, but the wolf was directly between her and the doors to the Entrance Hall, not to mention the doors were probably locked. Her only other two options were the greenhouses, which the werewolf would shatter the glass as easily as a dragon would, or the Forbidden Forest.

The werewolf's shriek echoed again, only this time it was a different call – it was the start of a hunt.

The animals started running towards her. Lily had no choice; the wolf would get here soon enough, and the glass would offer no protection. Her only chance was to hide, so heart racing, she spun on her heel and dashed into the forest.

* * *

><p>James cantered across the slippery snow with as much speed as he could muster. Beside him Sirius bounded from rock to rock, using the momentum to propel himself forward. Several shallow gashes bled just behind his right shoulder from when Moony swiped him to reach Lily, though thankfully she had fled to the forest, the only available option, and while it was her best bet to lose them, she was in severe danger of losing herself in the forest.<p>

Just as they reached the edge of the forest Sirius soared into a tree and used that energy to leap in front of Moony. He just missed, but Sirius clamped his powerful jaw onto Moony's arm, planting his feet firmly in the dirt to hold Moony back. With a vicious snarl, Moony swung his paw around to push Sirius off him. Sirius yelped in pain as he collided with the tree, but he had given James enough time to shove Moony with his enormous antlers.

Moony was now livid at the pair of them, and James heard Peter's fearful squeaks – he was staying well out of the way until the werewolf's fit was over. Biting and growling at the two of them, Moony rose up to his full height before letting loose one bellow of rage. He charged James, but James stood firm, bracing himself for impact.

But just like Remus, Moony was smarter than that. Instead of crashing into James's prongs, he jumped, powerful muscles rippling, and landed catlike behind James. At any other time, Moony would have attacked James, but the luring scent of human prey took over the wolf's senses, sending him into a bloodthirsty rampage with one sole goal, and James knew that only after the hunt was over would the bloodlust end.

Both James and Sirius tried to follow Moony, but the wolf already had a head start and was far ahead of them.

James transformed back into his other body, and Sirius growled a warning and barked, but James paid him no attention.

"Padfoot, listen: I'll look for Lily, and you use the oversized nose of yours to sniff Moony out."

Sirius squinted at him suspiciously and woofed, as if saying that it wasn't the smartest idea with Moony on the loose and in the middle of his hunt, but James reiterated his plan. Sirius barked once more, only this bark meant _good luck_ before he turned and sprinted in the direction of Moony.

* * *

><p>Though the night air chilled her to the bone, Lily ran through the forest, not even pausing to check behind her to see if the werewolf was close. A jolt of panic would shoot through her at each howl, and slowly they grew closer, but now Lily was running on pure adrenaline. Her instinct for survival was overwhelming, erasing any thoughts she might have had.<p>

Only one thought drove her: run.

And that's what she did, leaping much farther than she thought possible over the deformed roots and rotting trunks of trees long since dead. Whether the rustling sounds she heard were in her head or real, she didn't know, but Lily did know her only hope to escape the werewolf was to lose him in the forest, even if that meant losing her own way as well.

Lily landed in a small clearing. The trees were dense and far older than she had seen before – there was no telling how far from the school she was, but it was enough that they wouldn't hear any screams. Lily stopped, straining her ears for the faintest sound, but it was as silent as a tomb. There wasn't even the hoot of an owl to make her jump out of her skin. Maybe she really had lost the werewolf-

A deep, guttural rumble broke the silence – a growl from right behind her.

* * *

><p>Cantering across the uneven ground, James stayed alert for any sounds. During the full moon, most of the forest would retreat back into the many holes and hiding spots it offered; James hoped that the only sounds he would have to follow would be the sound of a shaggy dog struggling with a werewolf.<p>

In the distance, James could hear the crackle of dead leaves that hadn't yet been covered by snow. Praying that it was Lily, he took off in the direction while an owl hooted in the distance.

* * *

><p>Lily froze, and her insides turned to ice as she slowly turned around, hands trembling with an unsuppressed fear.<p>

"Remus," she breathed silently, taking in the wolf that was anything but her friend.

Slowly and menacingly, he stepped out of the brush. Well over six feet tall, the werewolf curled its long claws and lifted its lips into a snarl, flashing razor-sharp teeth that could pierce the hide of a giant. Lily raised her eyes into the yellow orbs of the monster, and he roared a deafening roar that ripped through the forest, sending several birds flying away.

Breathing heavily and growling, the werewolf approached her.

Lily tried to do something, but she was rooted on the spot with the paralyzing fear. Her wand pressed against her hand, but even the familiar warmth was little help. Lily tried to scream, but the sound got stuck halfway in her throat. Maybe, just maybe, somebody would appear, magically scaring away the werewolf, but all Lily knew was that she simply couldn't move.

The werewolf raised one of his paws, claws fully extended into deadly daggers that could slice through Lily like a hot knife through butter. She watched, motionless, as the flash of claws descended upon her, but an angry roar distracted the werewolf, and it looked up to something at the edge of the clearing.

A mass of black fur shot though the air with the speed of a bullet and smashed into the werewolf. The two tumbled away, biting and snarling. For one terrible second, Lily thought it was another werewolf simply fighting over its food, but the black animal jumped away from the werewolf with its back to her. Hair raised and claws extended, Lily realized it was a shaggy black dog – albeit the largest dog she had ever seen. It was closer to the size of a compact car than to her neighbor's retriever.

The dog, sensing her gaze, twisted its neck around and stared at Lily with grey eyes – very familiar grey eyes, but the werewolf was soon back on his feet, still intent of reaching Lily but aware of the new threat between them. The wolf barely considered its options before rearing and attacking the dog.

Somewhere while the dog and wolf were locked in the struggle, Lily felt the feeling creep back to her legs, and she stumbled backwards and out of the clearing. The wolf tried to lunge for Lily, but the dog bit his arm, prompting another round. Hoping the dog could keep the wolf distracted a little longer, she pushed aside low-hanging branches and leaves to run.

* * *

><p>The sounds were much louder now, and each angry bellow getting closer and closer as James zipped by trees so fast they were a blur. He was dead sure that the fighting he heard up ahead was Moony and Sirius. Transformed, Sirius could hold his own against Moony, but was it enough to prevent him from reaching Lily?<p>

James didn't want to find out.

* * *

><p>Lily continued just like she had before: running without any sense of direction. If she survived the full moon tonight, it would be harder to reach the castle without help than it was to escape the ferocity of a werewolf. She could just make out a sliver of the bright silver of the full moon over the treetops.<p>

_Snap!_

Lily jumped violently at the twig breaking behind her. She tried to work up a scream, but somebody pulled her against his body and backing up against a large oak while simultaneously clamping a hand over her mouth, effectively muffling any sounds she would have made.

Lily started thrashing violently before a voice hissed quietly, "_It's me, Lily. It's me!_"

"James?" Lily broke free when he released her. Two years ago she would have rejoiced at catching them wandering the forest well past curfew, a feat nobody had ever accomplished, but now she had never been happier that James was such an notorious rule breaker. "What-"

"_Shh_," James hushed. He glanced around, and Lily glanced at the direction of the howls getting louder and louder as well as the sound of heavy feet running across the hard dirt. Lily twisted around and found it impossible to mask the fear.

Silently, he took her hand and guided her through the ridiculously complex labyrinth, looking for landmarks that evaded Lily. The moon was at its peak now, lighting parts of the ground while anything else was in total darkness. Twice Lily tripped over a protruding root, but James held her steady whilst navigating the forest – she made a pact with herself not to ask James how many times it took to memorize every nook and cranny of the forest that was supposed to be forbidden to all students.

"How did you find me?" Lily asked after a long period of just running and jumping from small ledges. The trees were notably thinner than the cluster of fat trunks surrounding the clearing, and Lily allowed a small exhale of relief. "What are you doing out on a full moon?"

James hesitated just long enough for Lily to see. "You're louder than you think you are." He refused to look her in the eyes, and Lily felt a brief flare that she hadn't felt in a long time. She could deal with no answer, but lying was something she hated.

"What aren't you telling me?" Lily demanded, twisting free of James's hand.

He stopped and turned around, stunned. "Lily, what do you think you're doing? Moony's out there right now, just waiting-"

"You _knew_ that Remus was out here?" she gasped, scrutinizing James carefully. She had never seen him looking so edgy. "What in the name of Merlin's pointed hat did you think you would do with Remus fully transformed?"

"That's not Remus," James shot back, his eyes hard and mouth set in a scowl. "He is not the one wandering this forest right now, searching for you."

"I know that, but I never knew you were suicidal. What about Sirius? Peter?"

Frustrated, James ran his hand through his hair, searching around the forest. "Look, Lily. We can talk about this later, but right now we need to-"

Something squeaked near Lily's foot, and she looked down to see a common rat, racing around her feet as if it was terrified of something. She looked up to James, expecting to see the same confusion she felt, but instead he was looking at the rat with fear, an emotion she never expected to see on him.

Determined? Absolutely. Angry? Sometimes. Frustrated? Once in a while.

But never scared. His face drained of blood as he stared at Lily. "We need to go. _Now._" Without another word, he grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her through the remaining maze of trees. Up ahead, Lily could see the faintest yellow lights of the castle, perhaps a mile at best. Elated to finally reach a destination she knew, she started forward, but a rippling, animalistic screech of fury shattered the silence like an erumpent horn exploding.

James wasted no time in forcibly shoving her behind him before facing the werewolf. Unlike the clearing, the wolf didn't wait at all, charging them the second Lily made eye contact. She shrank away from the storming werewolf, clutching James's arm.

Out of nowhere the dog that had interrupted the werewolf in the clearing sprinted for the werewolf from behind, but desperate to make the kill, the werewolf shoved the dog away, and he landed with a sickening crack against a far tree. It bolted straight onto his feet again, limping slightly, but the wolf was closing in, and there was no way that the dog would get to them in time; Lily was surely cutting off the circulation in James's hand.

"James…" she said. Lily glanced up at him, and he seemed to be waging a war in his head. The wolf was now only thirteen yards from them.

Suddenly he jerked his hand from Lily's and ran – straight at the werewolf.

Lily could barely register the sheer stupidity of that move. "What're you – James! NO!" Lily screamed the last word, watching helplessly.

Then something completely and totally unforeseen happened: James began to change, growing larger, his feet and hand transforming into hooves, and an enormous pair of antlers sprouted from his head. James was no longer James, and in his place stood a rearing stag, kicking at the werewolf. Lily could hear the hoof connect with the snout.

The dog was now clamping down on the wolf's upper arm. The werewolf roared viciously, trying to throw off the dog while fending off the stag's dangerous kicks. Four hooves planted firmly on the ground, the stag was now using its prongs to ram the werewolf repeatedly. While Lily's scent was tempting, the wolf slowly back down from the renewed effort to push him back. With a final, defiant howl, the wolf turned tail and scampered away with the dog following him.

Lily stumbled backwards, her back flat against a tree while her mind reeled at what had just happened. The stag had replaced – no, James _was _the stag – but how – what happened? Somehow, unbelievably, James, with all his confidence, had managed to transform into an animal in front of her eyes. He hadn't been wrong last year – he _was_ one of the best Transfiguration students.

The stag nervously shifted as he faced Lily, a long but superficial cut reaching from the nose to the shoulder. Lily could see him staring at her, the beautiful and yet so recognizable hazel gaze at her, and she knew that there was no trick. James was the stag, and the stag was him.

With hardly any warning, the stag shifted back into James, or rather the James Lily knew much better. The gash hadn't disappeared, and while it looked small on the massive animal, it was anything but on James. Blood dripped from the wound, slowly but surely staining the collar of his shirt a scarlet red.

"Lily?" James asked tentatively, stepping towards her as if he was approaching a sleeping dragon. He reached an arm out for her, and Lily was too stunned to do much more than stare at him with her mouth hanging open in utter amazement.

"You – but you…just now…" Lily rambled, incoherent with incredulity. She still tried to connect the magnificent stag to the man standing in front of her. "You're – you're-"

"An animagus," James finished. "Lily, look at me. Please."

Lily, still shaking her head, reluctantly met his eyes. "How long?" she asked, her voice unnaturally high. "How long have you…"

"Fifth year," he answered. "Please understand that-"

"Understand what?" Lily snapped in a tone two octaves higher and not at all her own. Her previous shock was ebbing away, angry disbelief filling her. "Understand that y-you broke the law? Understand that – that you were willing to waste the rest of your life rotting away in Azkaban just for what? A laugh? The excitement? A couple years of fun? Breaking school rules is one thing, but this is the _law_. I know you don't care about detentions, but this is something completely different."

Lily slowly back away from him. "You're the reason why Remus is out on the grounds, aren't you?"

James hesitated, and Lily yelled, "Answer me!"

"Yes, but it's not what it looks like."

She shrieked with hysterical laughter. "It is exactly what it looks like. You just let Remus wander-"

"That's not Remus," James interrupted.

Lily was close to hyperventilating now. It was just so insane. First her mother, now this… "You're right. That wasn't Remus, but you still let a werewolf loose on the grounds on a full moon. Do you have _any _idea how dangerous that it? Is this just some sort of game to you? See how many times you can get away with close calls?"

"We're-"

"We?" she demanded, and she flashed back to the dog. Of course, how could she have been so stupid. Those grey eyes looked familiar because they _were _familiar. "Sirius is the dog, isn't he?"

Biting his lip, James gave one jerky nod.

"And Peter?" Lily glanced down at the ground, noticing the rat cowering behind James's foot. "Peter, you're guilty as well. Show yourself."

The rat glanced up at James for confirmation, and he nodded grimly and said, "She already knows, Wormtail."The rat squeezed his eyes in confirmation, and it suddenly shot up, taking the shape of the frazzled and chubby Peter Pettigrew.

Lily looked between the two of them. "Unbelievable," she muttered as she ran both of her hands through her hair. "I cannot believe you three." Without anther word, she took off for the castle, leaving the two boys standing in the forest.

"Lily, wait! Will you please just listen to me. You can't-"

"DO NOT TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO, JAMES POTTER!" Lily yelled, and James took several steps back at her sudden ferocity. She took a deep calming breath before saying, "This is no game, Potter." James flinched as she switched back to his surname. "Putting peoples' lives at stake, risking their entire future, that is not something to play with. What will happen next time you slip up? If Remus bites somebody? Not only will he feel incredibly guilty, but you've just doomed another person to live with the discrimination Remus deals with every day. You just don't get it, and you never will."

With that, Lily pushed past James and sprinted for the castle.

**Okay, cut Lily some slack. Her mother just died and now she's faced with keeping a huge secret for the Marauders. I just wanted to make it seem like she's slightly - no, very overwhelmed by the recent events in the past twenty-four hours for her. For any of you wondering when the conversation with Dumbledore and the funeral willtake place, remember that they think Lily is asleep in her bed. That's coming, don't worry :)**

**So let me know what you think about how Lily found out about the animagi and everything! Did it live up to the cliffie or not? Was it realistic-ish? I love love love reviews :D**

**And I won't forget to thank my previous reviewers: JuJuBugxx, J, skaterofthebooks, twilightstargazer, AsheJane, Nikki-Love013, HarryPotterFan, ccCurlyQ33, Chai Bookworm, I'mMrRecklessWithACapitalR, Helli, Klixxx, and all anonymous reviewers :D:D:D:D Those reviews can brighten up any bad day.**

**And swim season is in full swing starting tomorrow, so I'm trying to get a few chapters up before the start of school, but once school starts, I won't be able to update much because this will my schedule: sleep, swim, school, swim, eat, sleep, and I'm still trying to figure out a way to squeeze homework in there somewhere. **

**It will be a lot like the unexpected hiatus back in June, and that will continue until November. I'll try to maybe get an update on the Sundays I'm not working, but come September, don't be surprised if I don't update for over a month. ****I'm not abandoning this story, so if I can get an update in, please don't ask me where I've been because chances are my answer will be either school, swimming, or sleeping. One of the three S's :)**

**But I won't be so cruel as to leave you with a cliffhanger, so you can rest easy knowing yuo won't have one for at least three months.**

**BTW: I can only reply to your review if you're logged in when you review, so all past anonymous reviewers asking me questions, the best response I can give is ones in the AN, and it's possible that I'll forget unless I can respond the first time I read a review because I only respond if it's marked as unread. **

**Your swimming Muggle,**

**The-Nerdy-Geek**

**PS: the opening ceremonies at the Olympics? AWE-SOME!**


	67. Risking a Friendship

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises:

_The rat glanced up at James for confirmation, and he nodded grimly and said, "She already knows, Wormtail."The rat squeezed his eyes in confirmation, and it suddenly shot up, taking the shape of the frazzled and chubby Peter Pettigrew._

_Lily looked between the two of them. "Damn it," she muttered as she ran both of her hands through her hair. "I cannot believe you three." Without anther word, she took off for the castle, leaving the two boys standing in the forest._

_"Lily, wait! Will you please just listen to me. You can't-"_

_"DO NOT TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO, JAMES POTTER!" Lily yelled, and James took several steps back at her sudden ferocity. She took a deep calming breath before saying, "This is no game, Potter." James flinched as she switched back to his surname. "Putting peoples' lives at stake, risking their entire future, that is not something to play with. What will happen next time you slip up? If Remus bites somebody? Not only will he feel incredibly guilty, but you've just doomed another person to live with the discrimination Remus deals with every day. You just don't get it, and you never will."_

_With that, Lily pushed past James and sprinted for the castle._

**Risking a Friendship**

"Lily? Lily?" Alice asked, poking her shoulder repeatedly.

"Go away," Lily moaned, pulling her pillow over her head. She did not want to get up. That would mean having to confront the Marauders about their illegal activities, Dumbledore about her mother's death, and the rest of the school about her abrupt departure from dinner last night.

No, she refused.

"Lily, Dumbledore said to see him in his office as soon as you were ready for the day," Alice said, gently shaking her shoulder instead of the usual ripping off the covers and literally pulling her out of bed. While Lily appreciated the effort, her bed had never been so comfortable. "He said that it was imperative he sees you ASAP."

"No," was Lily's blunt, muffled reply.

"You're going to have to get out of bed sometime, Lils," said Marlene's voice.

And now there were two of them. Merlin, couldn't she have one day where not a single person bothered her? Just one day!

"Says who?" Lily shot back from under her pillows. Trying even harder to block out the voices in her head that took on the tone of Alice and Marlene, she tugged her covers over her and curled up into a little ball. "I don't want to see anybody else right now."

"Ask him," Alice finally said. Lily didn't have the faintest idea what she was talking about, but Marlene apparently did because Lily heard the groan of the wood as Marlene walked across it, the creak of the door opening, and the solid thump of the same door closing.

Did Marlene even know that the boy she flirted with constantly was an illegal animagus who could spend life in Azkaban if he was caught? Would she care? Though Lily was sure that Sirius trusted Marlene, she was just as positive that he hasn't yet told her what he and the rest of the Marauders did to potentially jeopardize the entire school.

And James...

Why would James do something so dangerous like that? Lily thought he was smarter than that. She never realized just how far arrogance could go, so he was either extremely stupid or a bigger thrill seeker than she had originally thought. The consequences for him and the rest of the Marauders would be far more disastrous than a couple of detentions.

Lily had seen firsthand what the Dementors did to people, and she could only imagine how bad it would be to spend the rest of your life around them. The thought of any of the Marauders sentenced to that torture was almost too terrible to imagine.

It was impossible to tell the amount of time that had passed, but after a while Lily heard Alice sigh. "Will you at least look at me Lils? You're scaring Mary."

Was Mary here? Slowly and reluctantly, Lily crawled out from under her cocoon of pillows and blankets. Alice was sitting cross-legged on the bed right next to her, staring at Lily with tender concern while Mary curled up at the foot of her own bed, eyes shining and arms wrapped tightly around her legs. Marlene was nowhere to be seen.

"You look like you've been to Hell and back," Mary observed.

_In a manner of speaking,_ Lily thought, but she just shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

"We waited for you to come back to the room, but we all fell asleep after three. Where were you?" Alice asked.

"Outside."

"Did James find you?" Mary asked.

Lily suddenly scowled. "Twice," she said angrily, "And I wish he hadn't."

"What did he say to you?" Alice demanded fiercely, her blue eyes blazing. She held her wand so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and brilliant white sparks flew from the end. "I told him that if he made things worse-"

"Breakfast," Marlene sang, gliding through the door and holding a silver tray laden with bacon, eggs, toast, and every breakfast food imaginable as well as an enormous glass of orange juice. "Courtesy of the Hogwarts house-elves who wish you and me the best of days." With fluid movements more suitable for a dancer, she set the table directly on Lily's lap.

"You didn't have to do this," Lily said, looking up at her.

Marlene dismissively waved a hand. "I know I didn't, but after everything, breakfast in bed is the least I could do. Trust me, sweetheart, you need food. You're still the tiniest out of all of us."

Lily frowned at Marlene. "Not by that much," she protested weakly, and Marlene giggled.

"Shut up and eat, Lils."

* * *

><p><em>Tap, tap, tap.<em>

"Will you stop that?" Sirius demanded quietly. "It's bad enough that Evans knows our biggest secret, and now you're risking my sanity. Stop it."

"I can't," James protested while Peter nervously ate his breakfast, scrambled egg on his lips. "If I could only just _talk _to her, she'll see sense."

"And what if she doesn't? She's not the same Evans she was first year, may her goody-two-shoes, rule-abiding soul rest in peace, but Evans is still a bit of a stickler for the rules. Break a few, sure, but I doubt she'll even pause long enough for you to call her name."

James sighed, absentmindedly playing with his food. If Lily wouldn't listen, then everything he had worked for would go down the drain. "She has to understand," he said, more than to himself rather than the other two boys. "She has to."

Twenty more minutes passed, and people stared at the unusual sight of the three silent Marauders picking at their food. Some were fearful, as if they had an enormous prank planned while others were just curious.

"Class starts in thirty minutes. No matter what happens, Evans would never miss class," James reasoned aloud, resuming tapping his fingers much to Sirius's annoyance.

"Yeah, but if the other girls are with her, then Marlene would drag her down her for breakfast any minute. She always takes thirty minutes to finish a simple bowl of cereal – _for Merlin's sake, stop that,_" Sirius said.

"But Marlene's eating breakfast up in the dormitory. She asked a little bit ago if I could help get some food from the kitchen," Peter suddenly remembered.

"And you didn't think to tell us that _before _Prongs started freaking out over the whereabouts of Lily?" Sirius asked in disbelief while James difficulty tried not to roll his eyes at Peter's lack of good timing. It was very obvious how easily Peter annoyed Sirius.

Peter put his hands in defense. "Don't blame me! Marlene was very kind when she told me that her skipping breakfast in the Great Hall would be our little secret," he squeaked.

Sirius slammed his fork down and glared at Peter. "What do you mean _very kind_? Like snogging kind?"

"I wish," Peter muttered.

Sirius lunged for him, but before either got anywhere, James threw his arm out and forcibly pushed Sirius back into his seat, knocking over a plate of bacon and Sirius's glass of marmalade in the process, but Sirius was too busy scowling at a cowering Peter to notice.

"Well since they obviously are not coming down anytime soon thanks to Pete, I'll go up there and tell them myself since you didn't realize just how important it was for Lily not to tell anyone," he growled, standing up and striding to the entrance of the Great Hall without so much as a second glance.

"Padfoot, don't," James warned, "Padfoot, there's a reason we don't try going up there. _Sirius!_" He didn't so much as glance behind him, and swearing, James took off after him while Peter nervously chewed his fingernails and poked at his pancakes.

* * *

><p>"You're going now? Why don't you wait for everybody to get to class before you head out?" Marlene asked.<p>

Lily looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "One of the things I've learned since coming here is how to ignore idiots who gawk." Alice looked skeptical, and Lily added, "I'll be fine. Don't you guys have to get ready for class?"

"Nah, Flitwick will understand," Alice said, waving her away while helping herself to some extra toast. "You go and get whatever Dumbledore wants to talk to you about over with."

Lily smiled and closed the door behind her.

* * *

><p>"Padfoot, this is stupid! Just wait for them to come down. They have to come down eventually!" James yelled, running up to Sirius's side. "Padfoot!"<p>

Sirius stopped abruptly. "Then have fun explaining to Pete why we have to rot in Azkaban for the rest of our lives. Have you forgotten why we never told anybody, or are you just waiting for the perfect time to-"

"SIRIUS!"

He stared at James, stunned at his sudden urgency. "The angrier we make Lily, the more likely it is that somebody not so friendly would get wind of what we had done. Don't you get it? We need to wait-"

"And what if she's already planning on telling somebody, Prongs? Did you ever think about that? Dumbledore probably wants to see her, and when she does, what do you think Miss Perfect Prefect will tell him? I don't know about you, but that's a chance I'm not willing to take," Sirius said aggressively.

James took a step back, trying to think of something to tell Sirius. "She's changed Padfoot. You know she has."

Sirius let out a short bark of laughter. "Has she? Maybe it's only you who's changed."

James couldn't think of anything to say to that.

* * *

><p><em>I'll be fine.<em>

If Lily was fine, then Mulciber was apologizing to all of his victims in the Hospital Wing at this moment, singing them ballads and producing bunches of flowers.

She was a war zone, two sides battling for control as it waged. She really should let James tell his side of the story. Even he wasn't stupid enough to do something for absolutely no reason at all, but at the same time she stubbornly refused to let a person who had so blatantly broken the law claim some stupid reason while at heart he only relished the thrill.

"EVANS!" Sirius yelled, and Lily jumped, whirling around while a sudden ferocity rose up.

"I'm late for a meeting with Dumbledore, Black," Lily stated coldly. "Go away."

But Lily should have known he was much too stubborn for his own good. In one swift movement, Sirius had her pinned, grasping her arm tightly. In the distance, James was heading straight for them. Desperate to avoid a confrontation, Lily tried to wiggle free, but Sirius was stronger.

"You cannot tell anybody what you saw, Evans. You don't have the faintest-"

"All I need to know is that the three of you broke the law, Black," Lily hissed. "For some reason, you decide to put the lives of every person in the castle at risk." James was getting closer, but Lily avoided his gaze.

Sirius leaned very close to Lily and whispered, "I like you, Evans, I really do, but if you tell anybody, I swear to Merlin-"

"You thought I would tell?" Lily said, aghast. "I am many things, Sirius Black, but I am not a traitor. You really think I'm so awful as to hand the three of you over to a lifetime of Dementors?" Rage and defiance filled her, and Sirius yelped, releasing Lily as if he had been shocked.

Lily barely registered the surprise before snarling, "I can't believe that after all we've been through, you think that poorly of me. Don't ever speak to me and the same goes for Potter."

Sirius stared at her while she ran for Dumbledore's office.

* * *

><p>James sprinted for the two of them, but Lily whipped around the corner faster than a blink of an eye while Sirius just stood there looking like Lily had slapped him in the face.<p>

"What happened?" James demanded. "What did you say to her?"

"Mate, I'm sorry," Sirius responded in a hushed voice.

"What did you say to her?" James repeated, more strongly this time.

He gulped. "I may have led her to believe that we thought she would turn us over to the Dementors. I don't think Flower wants to talk to either of us for a very long time."

* * *

><p>Was Lily really that bad that people thought she would let terrible things happen to people for punishment? There had been times when she wanted to curse, punch, and scream at the Marauders, but she would <em>never <em>wish Azkaban on anybody save Manumali and Voldemort. She recalled the terrible hopelessness and despair the Dementors brought every place they went, reinforcing her beliefs that neither of the boys deserved that.

Before she knew it, she was standing at the gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Nervously twisting her hands, she said tentatively, "Er… Professor Dumbledore wanted me to see him?"

The gargoyle didn't move, and Lily didn't expect it to.

"Ice Mice? Cockroach Cluster? Licorice Wands?" she rambled, but the gargoyle was as stubborn as stone. "Pumpkin Pasties…Chocolate Frogs…Acid Pops? Fizzing Whizzbees, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans – come on, _move, _you stupid piece of rock!"

After all that had happened, the gargoyle was only adding insult to injury by making her stand outside of Dumbledore's office like an idiotic rule breaker.

"Stupid, damn – Professor McGonagall!" Lily jumped as the stern witch appeared behind her, holding tightly onto a scroll. "What are you doing here?"

McGonagall studied her with an odd look, and Lily thought she detected pity and sadness. "I would ask you the same; you should be at home with your family, Ms. Evans."

"That's why I'm here, Professor," Lily said quickly. "Dumbledore wanted to talk to me, but I don't know the password to his office."

McGonagall's eyes twinkled sadly as she faced the gargoyle and said clearly, "Skittles." She turned back to Lily and whispered, "Be careful, Lily. You've upset some powerful people, and you're even more vulnerable out there where you can only trust yourself."

Lily stared. Usually McGonagall was uptight and unrelenting, but now her favorite teacher was worried far more than she thought possible. With one last sad smile, McGonagall squeezed her shoulder and left for her next class while Lily robotically stepped past the gargoyle.

She came upon the door to Dumbledore's office and took the moment to collect herself. Inhaling deeply, she knocked on the heavy door, the familiar voice said, "Enter."

She did, glancing up at the portraits hanging from the wall staring at her curiously while the strange instruments puffed and whirled and whizzed away on the finely wrought tables. She had been to this office before, but it never ceased to amaze her just how fascinating it all was.

And the reason why she was here came back, smashing her with the reality that she would never see her lovely mother again. The harrowing escape of the forest and the realization of the Marauder's true existence had provided such a welcomed distraction, but nobody was around her now save the Headmaster, and she knew that there would be no distraction.

Lily struggled to raise her eyes to the Headmaster, terrified he would see her weakness, something she had worked for so long to keep hidden, but she did.

Dumbledore sat behind his mahogany desk, peering at her with a sad compassion, as if he too could feel her loss as deeply as she felt it herself. Though the twinkle still remained in his eyes that held so much wisdom, it did not mask the intense despair in his eyes.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" Lily asked, her voice coming out much stronger than she felt. One of the portraits, a woman with thick, black hair whispered to another portrait while looking at Lily, and she could read their lips: _poor dearie, isn't she?_

"Ms. Evans, know first and foremost that you have my deepest condolences. I am aware that one of Voldemort's men taunted you with a letter, and you do not need me to tell you that it is true."

Lily nodded, hoping that Dumbledore would stop speaking so she could retreat back to her solitary confinement. "In a few minutes, I shall be sending you home to your father and sister, but there are a few things we need to clear up. It is in regards to the Death Eaters and Francis Manumali."

Hearing his name again sent a white-hot flare of fury searing down her body, the rage temporarily blinding her.

"It is not safe out there with so many Death Eaters on the prowl-"

"I am not letting a bunch of people hover over me at my mother's funeral, Professor," Lily interrupted hotly.

Dumbledore held up his hand gently. "I am not asking you to disrupt the proceedings, merely suggesting you take either Ms. Prewett or Ms. McKinnon with you so you are not alone."

"I would much rather take Mary. She's familiar with Muggle customs, and I don't want to fight with Pet-"

"Ms. Macdonald should remain here until she has had enough time to fully heal," Dumbledore insisted, "But both Ms. Prewett and Ms. McKinnon are smart enough to stay quiet and not disrupt the funeral. Either one is fine."

Lily glanced at the Headmaster suspiciously; Mary _was _fully healed, but she knew now was not the time to argue. "I'll take Alice," she finally said, and Dumbledore gave her a sad smile.

"Good. Minerva shall fetch her, and the both of you will be on your way. We hope to see you back at Hogwarts soon."

* * *

><p>"Excuse me, Filius, may I borrow Ms. Prewett for a minute?" Professor McGonagall asked, poking her head into the noisy Charms classroom. Flitwick, being the jovial professor he was, nodded and shooed Alice kindly away, but not before she exchanged meaningful glances with Marlene and Mary, whose balloon had exploded with much more noise than any other pop Alice had ever heard.<p>

She followed the witch out of the classroom and into the corridor where McGonagall cast a glance around before turning to her. "Though you're job is to make sure the Death Eaters do not make a move at the funeral, you are not to engage in any fighting unless absolutely necessary. Understood?"

Alice nodded solemnly, realizing that this was going to be her first chance to prove herself capable to join Dumbledore's elite group of fighters, but she could only imagine the fury on Lily's face if she figured out her motives. Of course she would want to be there for her friend, but Lily would not see it like that; she would see it as nothing more than naked betrayal that Alice would be working with people behind her back at - Rose Evans's funeral no less.

But it was that or the possibility of Manumali getting his hands on her best friend, and Alice would die before she let that monster near the person she loved like a sister.

McGonagall handed her a simple sickle. "The only reason you are to do this is so not to attract attention, for nobody will think twice about two teenage witches, and Ms. Evans does not want anybody disrupting her mother's funeral. For help, all you have to do is merely think where you are, and we will send people to the two of you. You are officially still a student, so you will do no more than Ms. Evans. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Professor," Alice said while desperately hoping that Lily did not find out the main reason she was at the funeral.

**Hello. I think this is the longest period of time I've gone without an update, and the only reason I was able to finish is was because I am temporarily out of swimming, curtesy of a damn concussion :( But as I asked at the end of last chapter, I would appriciate it if you don't ask me where I was because I was just buried in homework on top of swimming and my two jobs. Thank you.**

**So anyways, back to the story, I know that's its been a while since you have seen a nice, lovely little review button, but please click on it! YOU KNOW I LOVE REVIEWS! ****I'm not sure if you can tell the changes in my writing style, but that's because there was just so much time in between some of the paragraphs I wrote in case any of you were wondering.**

**Thank you so much to my reviewers from last chapter: HarryPotterFan, twilightstargazer, DarkDramaLady, I'mMrRecklessWithACapitalR, Jadeee, vampire-luver101, Lilyevansfan, ccCurlyQ33, tawnyangel, Jerry Side, lizshadeslayer21, HannahTheWolfGirl, JuJuBugxx, Chai Bookworm, and all of the annoymous reviewers :)**

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**Your swamped Muggle,**

**Ferdy Ferds Felve**


	68. The Ghosts of the Past

_Previously of _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_"Excuse me, Filius, may I borrow Ms. Prewett for a minute?" Professor McGonagall asked, poking her head into the noisy Charms classroom. Flitwick, being the jovial professor he was, nodded and shooed Alice kindly away, but not before she exchanged meaningful glances with Marlene and Mary, whose balloon had exploded with much more noise than any other pop Alice had ever heard._

_She followed the witch out of the classroom and into the corridor where McGonagall cast a glance around before turning to her. "Though you're job is to make sure the Death Eaters do not make a move at the funeral, you are not to engage in any fighting unless absolutely necessary. Understood?"_

_Alice nodded solemnly, realizing that this was going to be her first chance to prove herself capable to join Dumbledore's elite group of fighters, and she steeled her resolve._

_McGonagall handed her a simple sickle. "The only reason you are to do this is so not to attract attention, for nobody will think twice about two teenage witches, and Ms. Evans does not want anybody disrupting her mother's funeral. For help, all you have to do is merely think where you are, and we will send people to the two of you. You are officially still a student, so you will do no more than Ms. Evans. Am I clear?"_

_"Yes, Professor," Alice said while desperately hoping that Lily did not find out the main reason she was at the funeral._

**Chapter 68: The Ghosts of the Past**

Alice had never felt more horrified at herself: she was tricking Lily when her friend was at her most vulnerable when she should be there purely out of her love and friendship. Alice was breaking every single moral code she had ever deemed important, but she kept telling herself that it was to keep her best friend safe, and that trumped everything else.

She stood quietly while Lily numbly grabbed a handful of Floo powder. Her face was blank and gave away nothing about what she was feeling, but Alice knew she was putting on a show for everybody else.

Lily stepped up to the fireplace with Alice by her side. Throwing the powder into it, she said with a small tremble in her voice, "503 Brorude's Road." Before Alice could ask why they were going there instead of to her house, Lily took her hand and together, they stepped through the fire.

After spinning around in the green flames faster than a frightened Bowtruckle scrambling across the ground of the Forbidden Forest, she stumbled out onto a carpet, coughing and spluttering. Beside her, Lily was already cautiously watching for somebody to come and greet them. It was eerily silent, and Alice didn't realize she had been holding her breath until her lungs started to burn.

"Good! You two finally arrived. I was beginning to wonder if Albus had decided it would be funny to trick me, but nonetheless, you're here now."

Alice raised her head to see a man in his late twenties approaching them. He was smiling a smile that couldn't quite reach his brown eyes, like he had seen too many horrors of the world and was still haunted by old memories. He wasn't much older than Rawlings, and he could have blended in anywhere. Long, dirty blond hair fell just past his shoulders, and his eyes flicked to the windows, as if he was double checking that no Death Eaters were staring into the bare room.

"Mr. Fenwick?" Lily asked, standing up slowly and holding her bag tight in her hand.

"That would be me, Ms. Evans, but you two may call me Benjy. Alice Prewett, right?" Benjy said.

Alice mutely nodded, and Benjy stared at her curiously. "It's worse than I thought if he's picking from his students." Alice knew in that moment that Dumbledore hadn't just dropped them off at some random house. Benjy must have been one of the people operating outside the Ministry to fight Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Lily looked at the two of them, confused and slightly hurt that Alice hadn't told her what exactly Benjy was talking about. Benjy grabbed her bag with one hand and lifted it as easily as if it were full of feathers, leading them down the hall to a tiny, cramped kitchen with rickety chairs covered in a layer of dust.

"You don't live here, do you, sir?" Lily asked, glancing around the bare shack.

"Me? I share a cottage with a couple of buddies of mine up in Wales," Benjy said. "I daresay it has better decor than this miserable hut, although you never know what it will look like when you get back. Couple of giants could have smashed the place to smithereens for all I know, though I doubt Hestia would stand for that."

"Did you go to Hogwarts?" Alice asked suddenly, feeling that she would relax more if he shared the same school with them. Then again, most of the Death Eaters went to Hogwarts as well, but she didn't care.

"Proud Hufflepuff, but I assuming you two are Gryffindors," Benjy said mysteriously.

"How did you know?" Alice asked. Was Benjy supposed to be some sort of Seer?

"There's a lion on both of your trunks," he said simply.

* * *

><p>The train whistled for a final time in the Hogsmeade while James, Sirius, and Peter sat in a compartment quietly, not even bothering to speak to each other. The cold, dark day was as dreary as James felt. He had let Lily go with hardly any explanation as to <em>why<em> the four of them had decided to risk everything for her friend. He had been so sure she would see exactly why it was so important to him, but James had failed to account for his bias on the situation.

"So do you suppose Evans is at the Ministry already, turning us in?" Peter asked glumly, curling up under his cloak on the seat.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "If we thought that, Wormtail, we would've already made a run for it. Think! Flower's going to be very occupied this break, and we'll be able to talk to her after she and Blondie are back at Hogwarts."

"Correction: _I _will talk to Lily after she gets back," James said, narrowing his eyes at Sirius.

Sirius was taken aback by James's attitude. James understood his confusion; he had _never_ acted that way with Sirius. They had always been inseparable, but now James could feel flickers of resentment. If Sirius hadn't spoken to Lily like that, he might've had a chance to explain, but now he was stuck here, dreading for the inevitable confrontation between him and Lily – and he was sure that Lily was going to be confrontational.

"You do realize that you're going to have to beat Snivellous to the punch, right? He's going to be fawning over her with Mrs. Evans's death."

James turned away so they couldn't see his face. Yes, Snape would do that, but the wasn't what worried him. What worried him was that Lily, with all her rage split between the Marauders and Manumali, might listen to him. His stomach twisted at the thought of losing her to Snape, only this time Snape would be clever enough to hold on to her.

* * *

><p>"<em>Crucio!<em>"

Avery fell to the ground of the Malfoy Manor, screaming and twitching while Voldemort hovered over him, wand trained without the slightest hint of pity in his deathly white face. Nearby Mulciber and Wilkes watched, unable to look away from their tortured partner.

"You've failed me," Voldemort spat, allowing Avery the briefest break from the pain. He looked over at Mulciber, but he avoided making eye contact at all costs. Something powerful hit his face, and Mulciber fell to the ground, terrified that Voldemort had turned his wand on him. Mulciber glanced up to see the Voldemort had merely struck him.

"You call yourselves my servants, but you are worth as much Mudbloods to me. You cower in the face of my simple requests, and you have made no progress."

Voldemort seized Avery by the neck and held him close. Avery couldn't tear his eyes away from those scarlet orbs, so he simply stared at his master, unable to blink. "They need to _fear_ me, Avery. Do you understand?" Avery hastily nodded his head. "Good. So you understand that should you fail me again, I will not be so generous as to spare your life."

* * *

><p>The entire world had faded, the once vibrant colors washed away. The snow was slushy and grey, with the trees dripping while the cold still bit. The shops were emptied for Christmas, the once bright and inviting stores now uninhabited, save the few ones still rushing to sell the last of their products before little children all over the world woke up in a few days' time.<p>

Lily sighed as the car pulled up to her house. It looked the same as always, with the little white porch and the enormous window looking into the living room, but the air had changed drastically. The tree, though decorated, was unlit, and all save one light was on, emitting gloom worse than the Slytherins in a Quidditch defeat against Gryffindor.

Alice appeared at her side, squeezing her arm. "You ready?"

Lily mutely nodded while the foreboding weighed on her. Alice waved for Benjy to drive on, and Lily didn't even pay attention to where he went.

Her father and Petunia were in there. Were they still trying to keep up the daily routine, or did her father simply stop everything? Lily suddenly felt like she was an intruder in her own house; it was her fault that her own beloved mother was dead after all. If Lily hadn't taunted Manumali like that, Rose Evans wouldn't be laying in a coffin somewhere, dead.

The tears froze on her cheeks as she stared at her home. She should have been coming home to a loving mother and father, with the Christmas tree sparkling in the corner and the fudge tempting her, but it would only ever be a shadow of her life. Lily could imagine her parents opening the door and running out to greet their youngest daughter.

Alice nudged her. "You ready."

"Do you mind?" Lily asked tentatively. "It wouldn't be the best idea if Petunia saw you here."

"No problem… I'll just wait for you in your room, shall I?" Alice tapped her wand, and Lily watched as Alice disappeared from her sight. She still knew her best friend was there, and Lily steeled herself as she opened the door to the house, not realizing that an old friend of hers watched, carefully hidden just mere feet from her house.

**Hello. I do realize that I haven't updated for a while, but the writer's block only ended when I had an 'Eureka!' moment yesterday. Sorry!**

**Anywhos, for anybody wondering when sixth year will end, I am estimating six or seven more chapters. In case you missed it, the little disagreement between James and Sirius is going to lead up to something... Hmmm... I wonder what? The funeral was going to be in this chapter, but I'm going to post it seperately because I just feel so guilty for not updating in a while.**

**ClamatiWP, twilightstargazer, JuJuBugxx, Helli, kelseyPJHP1997, I'mMrRecklessWithACapitalR, Ilikejily, ASDFGHJKL, Sarahrules336, vampire-luver101, Klixxx: thank you all so much for still reviewing despite the unanticipated hiatus. Hugs and kisses to you all! And thanks to anybody who is still reading this story!  
><strong>

**Your Bummy-Friday Muggle,**

**12-Nerds-Messing-Around-In-Study-Hall-With-Gizoogle.**

**PS: You may notice me publishing other stories. That's mostly for my sanity since it was driving me crazy trying to concentrate on one story.**


	69. The Game is Afoot

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_The tears froze on her cheeks as she stared at her home. She should have been coming home to a loving mother and father, with the Christmas tree sparkling in the corner and the fudge tempting her, but it would only ever be a shadow of her life. Lily could imagine her parents opening the door and running out to greet their youngest daughter._

_Alice nudged her. "You ready."_

_"Do you mind?" Lily asked tentatively. "It wouldn't be the best idea if Petunia saw you here."_

_"No problem… I'll just wait for you in your room, shall I?" Alice tapped her wand, and Lily watched as Alice disappeared from her sight. She still knew her best friend was there, and Lily steeled herself as she opened the door to the house, not realizing that an old friend of hers watched, carefully hidden just mere feet from her house._

**Chapter 69: The Game is Afoot**

The house was as silent as Lily entered. Her sharp eyes noticed a slight disturbance in the air that was Alice moving quickly and quietly up the stairs. Lily paused, surveying her former home. Everything was the same as when she had left, with pictures, both Muggle and Wizarding, hanging on the wall. There was her mother's favorite vase sitting on the a little ornate table with several unopened letters by it.

Something from the living room caught her eye, and Lily slowly approached. A large tarp had been hastily nailed to the wall, covering a large enough expanse to hide the majority of the wall from view. Lily noticed several veins of dried blood running from beneath the sheeting, pooling in little puddles at the floor. She slowly pulled an edge, and the tarp fell, leaving only one corner fastened to the wall, Lily felt the urge to vomit when she saw what was written underneath.

_This is only the beginning._

She stared at the words written in dried blood. There was no question as to who had given her the ominous threat, and Lily stumbled backwards, unable to comprehend just how insane Manumali really was. This was all a game to him, hunting her while toying with her from afar. She noticed a sponge soaked with blood near the corner; her father must have tried relentlessly to erase the words until Petunia pulled him away when she realized it was a lost cause.

Lily's blood boiled at the sight of the bloody message, her trembling fists curling while pure, unadulterated fury blazed within her. This was an invitation, she realized, an invitation to join him in the race that neither had still reached the finish line yet. If Manumali wanted her to play, then she was already in.

Except they would be playing by _her _rules.

* * *

><p>Manumali smirked as the car pulled away from the house, leaving the two little girls standing there like the lost puppies they were. Everything was going according to plan; the Mudblood and the blood-traitor, they had no idea what was coming for them. If the Mudblood thought this was a bad as it got, the girl would be receiving a surprise in the coming week.<p>

The Dark Lord already doubted his usefulness, Manumali's rank slowly dropping while Lucius and Bellatrix climbed to the top. _He _should be the one at his master's side, not the prissy blonde. _He _should be hosting the Death Eater's meetings, not the unstable bitch. _He _should be the Dark Lord's confidante. All of his hard work – thrown into a Recycling Potion, and it was the little Mudblood's fault, her and her little blood-traitor friends.

The Evans girl entered the house, and Manumali watched, anticipating the moment when he saw her cross the living room to his work of art stuck to the wall. He could just imagine her scream, running away like the piece of filth she was. She reached her hand out, and Manumali rubbed his hands together as she tore down the covering those scummy Muggles had plastered to wall.

Except she did faint or scream. She just stared at it, face devoid of any emotion while she clenched her fists. Had he driven her too far off the end?

Manumali couldn't help the tiniest flicker of fear touch his chest.

* * *

><p>"Lily?" a tentative voice asked from behind her.<p>

Lily turned and saw Petunia standing in the arch determinedly not looking at the wall but focused on her sister. There was no trace of resentment in her face, only grief and sorrow to match Lily's. Her hair was lank and dull with no make-up, so much different from the pristine girl Lily had remembered her as. She had never looked like this, even before the parting of the ways.

"Hi, Tuney," Lily choked out, taking a tentative step towards her.

Petunia's lip trembled, and then she suddenly enveloped Lily in an enormous hug. "I've missed you, Lils. It's been so horrible here without my sister," she whispered, sniffling.

Lily paused, hardly daring to believe it, before she returned the embrace. "It's okay, Tuney. I'm here now. Where's Dad?"

At these words, Petunia stepped away. "He's … not doing well," she finished lamely. "Right now he's sitting in the kitchen." Petunia held out her hand, and taking it, Lily followed her to the kitchen. It was almost like when they had been little. She used to follow her sister anywhere, and Lily hadn't realized just how much she missed having her big sister.

Mr. Evans was sitting at kitchen with a mug that had not been drunk out of. He stared at a spot only he could see, and Lily noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"Daddy?" she whispered, gently touching his hand. "Dad, it's Lily. It's your daughter."

Mr. Evans turned his around and gazed at Lily with a tremulous look in his eyes, like he was about to break any moment. "You look so much like your mother, do you know that. You have her hair," he said, stroking her head, but there was no emotion in his voice. Lily swallowed to keep the tears from falling. "She would be so proud of you, of the both of you."

Lily glanced at Petunia, but she just shrugged helplessly. "Well, I'll be upstairs if you need me," Lily said after a while.

* * *

><p>Severus watched through the window as Petunia hugged Lily, rage welling up inside him. Who was she to seek comfort from the person she had ridiculed endlessly? That Muggle didn't deserve Lily, his sweet Lily. He should be the one in there, comforting her. <em>He <em>was the one who knew her best. _He_ was the one who introduced her to the Wizarding World. _He _was the one who had joined the Dark Lord for her.

Prewett would never do anything like that for his dear Lily. She and the others just acted like they cared, but the moment things would get rough, Severus bet they would scamper away with their tails between their legs.

Tomorrow was the funeral, and Severus already knew where he would sit – right next to Lily. He would say just how sorry he was for her mother, one of the few Muggles who had ever showed him kindness. Potter and Black would no longer be a part of her life; his precious flower deserved better than them. No, he was finally going to get his chance to win back Lily and her heart.

And if anybody stood in his way, Severus would crush them.

* * *

><p>Lily stood in front of the mirror. Her dark blue shirt stood out against her pale skin, and Alice had accepted that Lily didn't want to do anything particularly special with her, opting to simply brush it and let it fall around her face in soft waves. She wore no make-up. Why would she?<p>

Alice waited in the doorway with one of Lily's dresses hanging from her slightly pudgy frame – she only had dress-robes for wear, but after a very quick explanation from Lily about what the Muggles and specifically Petunia would think, she changed her mind to wear the olive-green dress. "You ready?" she asked.

"No," Lily admitted truthfully, but she left her room anyways with Alice's hand on her shoulder.

The funeral was a blur for Lily. She was barely able to listen as several people stood up and talked about how great of a person Rose Evans was, but Lily noticed they said nothing about her mother's fudge, not even Petunia. They should have mentioned her fudge, but mostly it was just stories, and Lily was too dazed to listen as her mother's friend from work told everybody about how much she loved the children.

After the service, Alice stood dutifully by her side while person after person came up and offered their condolences. Once or twice Lily thought she saw Sage, but she quickly shook her head. The only other witch here besides herself was Alice. Nevertheless, she still couldn't quite shake the feeling that she was being watched – watched by different people.

"Alice," Lily asked quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Is it me, or do some of those people look like they don't belong here."

Alice gave her an odd look, but Lily could detect a hint of fear. Did Alice know something she didn't? "I don't think any wizard would be so stupid as to appear at your mother's funeral. Maybe you're just really tired," she deflected.

"Ms. Evans, it's been a while," an old man said, coming up to her and offering her his hand, which Lily took. "I was one of the few to talk to your mother right before she died." Lily just nodded. "And she wanted me to say something. Do you mind, my dear?" he asked Alice.

"Oh, no, of course. I'll just, um, I'll just be over here, shall I?"

The old man smiled, and Lily asked. "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure who you are."

"Oh, you may not know this face, seeing as you thought I should be buried under a pile of rock, but you're mother did want you to know … hmm, I actually may have killed her before she could say anything," the old man whispered menacingly, and Lily froze.

Repulsed, she snapped her arm away from Manumali's grip. "What do you want with me?" she hissed, seething. Had she really just shaken hands with her mother's murderer? A pit opened up in Lily at the sight of the disguised coward, a pit that burned hotter than the fires of Hell, filled with absolute hatred and terror. Blood drained from her face as her entire frame quaked with fury. A strong urge to _Crucio _Manumali crossed her mind. Lily didn't care how much pain it caused. All she wanted to do was make Manumali feel what she had felt when her mother was taken from her.

Manumali smiled. "To give you message, my dear flower," he simpered. "Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you. See, my men are just waiting for the perfect opportunity to hurt your little friend, but you're lucky that I've decided to be merciful. If you come with me right now, little Alice will have no need to get hurt."

"That hasn't stopped you in the past," Lily spat.

"Ah, but if you don't come with me, then my men might just stop resisting the urge to kill Ms. Prewett. Might as well take your chances." Lily glanced over at Alice, who was chattering with a middle-aged couple she recognized as neighbors from down the street. Lily could have cried from frustration; Alice had no idea who Lily was talking to, and it could be some time before she alerted somebody for help.

Lily faced Manumali. "I'll come with you on the condition that you leave Alice alone."

"There's a good girl! Your mother would be so proud," Manumali said, turning aside for Lily to pass first. She did although she made sure to keep Manumali in her sight out of the corner of her eye. After all, there was no telling what the monster would do if given the chance.

Outside the sun shone brightly as if mocking Lily. It still persisted, spreading happiness even though there was a wide, gaping hole in Lily's chest that would never fully heal. Manumali led her past the flowerbeds of the funeral home and under a small outcropping, effectively hiding them from view.

"Give it, Evans, or you friend dies," Manumali said, motioning for the wand held in her hand. She saw a person standing on the top of the ledge as if keeping guard, and Lily very reluctantly handed it over. He smirked, and she suppressed the fear in her chest.

"Now, Evans, we will await the Dark Lord at the manor."

**Hello! Sorry about the wait. I meant to update on Saturday but work got in the way and on Sunday I was talking to the recruiter and getting a whole bunch of information. Anyways, here is the next chapter as promised. I hoped you all liked it!**

**So let me take this time to thank my reviewers: Helli, Infinity Lily, Chai Bookworm, ClamatiWP, Lovely, JuJuBugxx, BethMalfoy4922, DarkDramaLady, twilightstargazer, and all the anonymous reviewers. Thanks!  
><strong>

**BTW: No worries; there will be action next chapter :) **

**Worldnerd12**

**PS: I LOVE YOU TO BROOKIEMAY EVEN THOUGH WE CAN NO LONGER SIT TOGETHER IN MATH AND I'M ALL DONE WITH SWIM TEAM! XOXOXO!**


	70. A Glimpse of Dark Magic

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_Outside the sun shone brightly as if mocking Lily. It still persisted, spreading happiness even though there was a wide, gaping hole in Lily's chest that would never fully heal. Manumali led her past the flowerbeds of the funeral home and under a small outcropping, effectively hiding them from view._

_"Give it, Evans, or you friend dies," Manumali said, motioning for the wand held in her hand. She saw a person standing on the top of the ledge as if keeping guard, and Lily very reluctantly handed it over. He smirked, and she suppressed the fear in her chest._

_"Now, Evans, we will await the Dark Lord at the manor."_

**Chapter 70: A Glimpse of Dark Magic**

Alice knew something was wrong as soon as Lily went outside. Her friend would never leave her own mother's funeral just to have some time alone. She would have stuck it out for the rest of the mourners, putting on her brave face, but Lily would never leave, especially with somebody she barely knew. No, something was definitely up.

"What is it, Alice?" Benjy said from behind her.

She jumped. "How in the name of Merlin did you get here so fast?"

"Magic," Benjy said in mock mistiness, much like Fabian or Gideon would have done, but after his little joke, the wizard adopted a much more serious manner. "What's wrong?"

"Lily left with some old guy, but she would never do that to her own family. I think something's wrong," Alice said.

Benjy glanced out the doors, grimacing. "Follow me. Quickly."

* * *

><p>Lily could have laughed when she saw where Manumali had taken her. It was a big, spooky manor, something stereotypical of the monster she was with. It was something she would have seen in Muggle horror movies, with enormous paintings, towering suits of armor, and one glass chandelier the size of Lily's bedroom back home.<p>

Yes, she could have laughed, but she didn't. There was nothing laughable about Manumali right now. There was no hope for escape; she was in the middle of the enemy's base.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me over the years, Mudblood?" Manumali asked while he seated himself on an armchair as if she was here for tea. He proceeded to take out a silver knife and clean his fingernails casually, all the while glowering at Lily.

Lily stood tall and held her head up high. She would not be intimidated by the man who killed her mother and attempted to kill her friends numerous times, no. "Believe me. It was my pleasure," she stated coldly.

Manumali laughed. "The Dark Lord was right about one thing. You will be most entertaining."

Lily's fist trembled from fear. It didn't matter about Manumali. He could be killed, but Voldemort … he sent a trickle of fear through her. It was impossible to know just how far he had delved into the Dark Arts. He very well could be keeping a horde of Basilisks under her feet for all she knew.

"Is that fear I detect?" Manumali taunted, sitting up straighter. Glee spread across his scarred features. "The great Lily Evans, scared just by hearing her enemy's name. Who would have though?"

Lily said nothing, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of hearing a quiver in her voice.

Suddenly there was a _crack! _Lily jumped and looked over her shoulder, expecting the worst. It wasn't Voldemort, but it was somebody just as bad. Lily could tell that much even with the mask. Rage reared its ugly head inside Lily at the sight of the newest member of their little talk. The Death Eater swept into the room, wand twirling in hand while the mask was completely removed.

"What have we here?" Bellatrix Lestrange cackled.

* * *

><p>Alice stood off to the side while people Apparated in with soft pops and loud cracks. There were probably five or so wizards and witches. She recognized Benjy, but everybody else was just a stranger to her until a hand laid itself on her shoulder.<p>

"I didn't think Dumbledore would promote those members still in school to fully active status."

Alice turned around to see her old professor standing before her in Muggle clothing and a small grin on her pink lips. There were still signs of the torment at the hands of the Death Eaters, but she saw there was an old glint back her brilliant blue eyes not dissimilar to the one which had been there when Alice had first met her.

"Professor Rawlings!" Alice whispered excitedly.

Sage returned her hug and said, "I haven't been your professor for three years, Alice."

Alice shrugged. "Old habits die hard. What have they told you about Lily?"

Sage sighed. "Enough. For starters, pissing off one of Voldemort's closest supporters means they're not eager to kill her quickly, so for now it's a safe bet that the Death Eaters will keep her alive. And when I say they'll keep her alive, I mean they're only concern is keeping her heart beating."

Alice's hopes fell at Sage's words. "So what _do _we know."

Sage gave her a sly smile. "Giving up hope so quickly, Alice? I'm disappointed. The Order still has some tricks left up their sleeves, and a couple of our … _informants _have already reported to Dumbledore. Relax, we'll get Lily back to you safe and sound."

"I'm not going with you?"

Sage stared at Alice. "You're still in school, Alice."

"I'm of age!" she protested. "Let me come! You might need my help."

"No," Sage said forcefully, and Alice stopped at her deadly serious expression. "The only reason I'm here is to take you back to Hogwarts."

"But I want to help."

"You think I don't," Sage snapped back, and Alice was stunned. "Neither of us would be able to put our feelings aside, and we have to think about Lily's best interest right now."

Alice glanced up to where several wizards and witches were convening, likely drawing up an attack plan. As a tall and intimidating witch stood up to call the room to order, Alice whispered, "Just let me hear what they're planning to do. After that, I'll go back to Hogwarts without any trouble. Promise."

Sage studied her critically before hesitantly nodding.

* * *

><p>Lily screamed. She was on the floor now, writhing from the white-hot knives that attacked her body both inside and out, leaving nothing but the naked agony. There was nothing she could do to escape the torturous burning except hope it would end soon.<p>

Suddenly the pain was gone, and Lily curled up on the floor. Bellatrix was laughing somewhere, but Lily couldn't think straight as the silent tears fell onto her cheeks.

_Please, let it end. Just end it now. Please, please, please._

"It's been a long time since I've seen you last, you filthy little Mudblood," Bellatrix jeered, and Lily said nothing. "I thought we might pick up where we left off." Bellatrix then jabbed her wand into Lily's wrist, and Lily pressed her lips together to keep from crying as her bones felt they were being dipped into molten lava.

Bellatrix laughed softly. "Vanderwall, where's my knife? I think this filth needs reminding about what kind of animal they are."

"Yes, Madam Lestrange," a Death Eater who had come with Bellatrix said, and he left.

"A knife?" Lily asked shakily. "What do you need a knife for?"

Bellatrix laughed. "You'll see. Manumali, get her comfortable."

Lily jerked back reflexively from disgust, but Manumali had already seized her around the middle. Her skin crawled as her mother's killer touched her bare arms roughly. She tried to struggle, but Manumali was too strong. He just smiled cruelly and held one of her arms so tightly it started to hurt. This situation couldn't be more hopeless, unless …

She felt a small thrill of anticipation as she noticed the tips of two wands on the inside of Manumali's robes. Lily had a chance: her back was to the other Death Eaters, and Manumali was looking at Bellatrix in anticipation. Lily had never pickpocketed somebody before, but then again, she _had _been hanging around the best teachers in the school when it came to breaking the rules.

Quick as a pixie, Lily sneaked her free hand across and slipped both wands under her shirt. Blood pounded in her ears; she had one shot, and it all depended on surprise. There were three people in the room, four counting Vanderwall: Bellatrix, Manumali, and some other nameless Death Eater looking at the paintings.

Her hands started to sweat as she counted off in her head: _three, two, one_.

Lily aimed the wands at Manumali first since he was saying something to Bellatrix. Lily, however, didn't have time to concentrate of the conversation.

At first she was only going to Stun Manumali, but as she stared at the hand holding her, she felt all of her rage rear up like a ferocious dragon, and she silently thought, "_Diffindo_."

It was impossible to suppress the twisted satisfaction when Manumali screamed out loud and cradled his hand – only it wasn't there anymore. Lily's Severing Charm had double the power with two wands, and instead of just cutting through Manumali's skin, it amputated his hand, leaving a bloody stump in its place.

She couldn't think of a more fitting revenge for somebody who had been sick enough to write her a letter in her mother's own blood.

Bellatrix was the first to react, but thankfully Lily had already sent a hex her way. She rocketed backwards in the same fashion Lily had all those years ago when she had chased her after finishing off Stoughton. Thankfully the last Death Eater was slow enough that Lily defeated him with only a Stunning Spell.

Footsteps echoed in an adjacent hall, and Lily took off for the large double doors that could only lead to the outside. She had no wish to test out just how good she was against an unknown number of Death Eaters. There was a small fear that the doors may have been impossible to open, but they were unlocked, and Lily slipped out of the crack swiftly.

"_Colloportus!_" she said, pointing only her wand at the doors. She contemplated Manumali's wand only a second before deciding one last small form of retaliation. Tossing his wand in the air, she sent a well-placed Blasting Curse, and the wand exploded into a billion pieces.

People banged on the door, and Lily knew it wouldn't hold long. She sprinted for the gate at the end of the path.

**I know there is nothing I can say that will make up for not updating in over a year, but if I'm being honest, I simply lost interest in this story. It was always on the back of my mind, but I found it impossible to write anything good. So let me apologize for being absent for a _very _long time. I know most of you probably thought I had abandoned the story. It was also really crappy of me to end the last chapter on a cliffhanger like that. I will now never have another cliffhanger unless I have the next chapter pretty much done.**

**That being said, thanks to everyone who has still reviewed and hasn't given up on this story**

**To the reviewers: Special-Agent-M-J, James-Lily-Fan, cause I'm awesome like that, JadedLights07, jujubugxx, Lilyflower, Siriusandjames, Klixxx, mysteryman153, Mrs. Potterhead, BlueGreen216, Idontgetit, Kamala, alcatluvr13, Infinity Lily, vampire-luvr101, CowboySteel, ClamatiWP, DarkDramaLady, and all of the anonymous reviewers. Thanks so much for your support!**

**Right now I'm on Pottermore, and that's started to spark my interest again, so hopefully you'll be getting more updates. REVIEW!**

**Your very sorry Muggle,**

**WorldNerd12 **


	71. Road Trip!

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_Footsteps echoed in an adjacent hall, and Lily took off for the large double doors that could only lead to the outside. She had no wish to test out just how good she was against an unknown number of Death Eaters. There was a small fear that the doors may have been impossible to open, but they were unlocked, and Lily slipped out of the crack swiftly._

_"Colloportus!" she said, pointing only her wand at the doors. She contemplated Manumali's wand only a second before deciding one last small form of retaliation. Tossing his wand in the air, she sent a well-placed Blasting Curse, and the wand exploded into a billion pieces._

_People banged on the door, and Lily knew it wouldn't hold long. She sprinted for the gate at the end of the path._

**Chapter 71: Road Trip!**

Something flashed in front of one of the witches. Alice couldn't make out the words, but the others started muttering. One rolled up the map while a wizard with flyaway white hair conjured up another map, only this one was larger and more detailed. Alice glanced at Sage.

"What's going on?" she whispered, not wanting to interrupt the group who was already in deep discussion.

Benjy came over to where the two were standing. "Our informant made contact. Apparently Lily already escaped. He's guessing she's going to be hiding out somewhere in the country. It's miles away from any town following the roads."

Alice sank to the ground in relief. Her friend was safe for the time-being, and her injuries were most likely minor considering she had been gone barely an hour. Nevertheless, she was already planning on camping out in the Hospital Wing in Hogwarts until she actually saw Lily in the flesh.

"But she could be hitchhiking," Sage suggested as Alice stood up again. "She knows how those things Muggles call cars work."

Benjy shrugged. "Right now we're assuming that she's walking, so we're going to start close to the Malfoy Manor, and work our way outwards."

"Malfoy Manor?" Alice asked sharply. "As in Lucius Malfoy? He was the one who kidnapped her."

"We don't know, but it's possible his house is being used just as an outpost for Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He might not have even known about it."

Sage snorted. "Oh, he knew about it alright. That snake's right in Voldemort's inner circle."

"Regardless, Sage, I want you to take Alice back to the school and then go back to the funeral to make sure things run smoothly. Wendla is there along with a couple others to make sure the Death Eaters don't try to take out any of the Muggles."

"Yes, sir," Sage said. She took Alice's wrist and said, "C'mon, Alice, let's get you back," before Disapparating.

* * *

><p>Lily had never been more thankful that she had taken to running around the Black Lake on a regular basis. When the mansion was just a small speck on the horizon, she slowed her pace to a fast jog, and she continued to slow it down until she started walking once the house had completely disappeared from view.<p>

Only once she was a safe enough distance away did Lily notice that her feet hurt, and she bent down to examine them. She must have kicked her heels off without even thinking about it, and now with no protection her feet had multiple cuts and punctures from the woods she had just been in. It was surprising she didn't feel it before, but then again her adrenaline had been going so strong she probably wouldn't have noticed anything. She cast a quick Cushioning Charm on her feet, but there wasn't anything to do for the injuries she had already acquired.

Lily glanced behind her one more time before assessing where she had ended up. She must have run several miles, but during that time she had only focused on getting away. Now, as she surveyed her surroundings, her next step was to reach some form of civilization. There was a small road in the distance, perhaps another mile or two, and Lily started jogging in that direction.

It took longer than expected to reach the road, and each minute Lily spent away from any kind of Wizarding institution, it was that much more likely that Bellatrix or Manumali would reach her. Though severing (unintentionally) Manumali's hand was just a tiny fraction of all the pain he had caused her, he would without a doubt be after her with a vengeance.

There was a car approaching from a distance, giving her an idea. Lily glanced down at her attire. She was still in the attire from the funeral, although it was muddy and torn from running through the woods, and she was also shoeless. Manumali's blood stained her side and dribbled down her leg. Lily quickly smeared her hands with dirt and grass before rubbing it in her hair – after all, if she was going to convince somebody to give her a ride in the middle of nowhere, it wouldn't hurt. Once she was satisfied, she moved towards the car.

"Help!" Lily cried, waving her arms above her head. She purposefully dragged her feet across the pavement and stumbled towards the middle of the road, careful to stay on the opposite side of the road rather than risk the car hitting her. "Help me!"

The car started to slow, and Lily double-checked that her wand was under her shirt. With nowhere else to put it, she had used the waistband of her panties to keep it from falling. It wasn't preferable, but it beat having Muggles wonder what it was.

Lily sighed with relief as she saw a middle-aged woman stop and hurry out of the car. Unfortunately most people didn't usually stop for people in the middle of nowhere, but Alice always said she was a good liar, and considering what had happened and how she looked, it wouldn't be too hard to act terrified.

"Are you alright, sweetie? Oh, dear, you're bleeding!"

"Please," Lily croaked, "There was a man … he did terrible things …" Tears that weren't entirely fake streamed down her cheeks, and it helped that she hadn't been able to stop shaking, though technically it had been a bunch of wizards and a witch, but she couldn't very well tell the Muggle woman that.

"I'm calling the police, don't you worry, dear," the woman said.

"No!" Lily yelped. The woman stared at her in surprise. Lily purposefully stumbled over her own feet and clung desperately to the woman. "He's following me, and he's _so _angry I finally escaped. Please, we have to get out of here before he finds me again! Please!"

"Of course, dear," the woman said quickly. She glanced around nervously before opening the passenger-side door for Lily. "You can sit here."

* * *

><p>Alice paced back and forth in the Hospital Wing, much to Madam Pomfrey's annoyance. This would surely be the first place Lily would come once they found her and brought her back. Madam Pomfrey had repeatedly told Alice that she would let her know if Lily showed up, but worry and guilt kept Alice here. After all, if she hadn't left her side, none of this would have happened.<p>

The doors opened, and Alice turned around expectedly, but it was only Marlene.

"Oh, I thought you were Lily. Weren't you and you're family going to Italy for Christmas?" Alice asked.

"I came back after Professor McGonagall told me what happened. Any news?"

Alice shook her head. "Their informant told the Order that she had escaped, and they're searching the countryside right now."

"Was she hurt?" Marlene asked.

Alice shrugged. "I don't know. They didn't tell me."

Marlene sighed at sat at the edge of an unoccupied bed. "Then I guess we wait," she said.

"I guess we wait," Alice agreed.

* * *

><p>Lily ditched the woman at a convenience store located in the middle of a small town. Before leaving, she filched some money for a train ticket and left a note explaining that she needed to get far away to contact some people she knew and that the necklace she left behind was compensation for the money, though Lily neglected to tell her that the necklace was actually one of Petunia's that Alice had "borrowed" from her jewelry box.<p>

Oh, well.

The closest Wizarding community she knew of was located in Bristol, so Lily paid a cabbie to take her to the nearest station after sneaking a pair of cheap boots to hide her scratched and bloodied feet. There, she hopped on a train for Bristol. Thankfully the cab ride didn't take long, but the train ride, where Lily had nothing to do but stay in the bathroom to clean herself up, was very boring.

Finally the train pulled to a stop, and Lily departed, now noticeably cleaner after fixing herself with her wand. With all the magic around her, it would take a lot to convince the Ministry not to expel her, but considering the circumstances, Dumbledore would probably convince them to cut her some slack.

The train station was noisy, but Lily easily found the nearest map and phonebook. Wizards were most likely to live in small clusters around the larger cities, so Lily scanned for familiar Wizarding surnames. It was quite easy actually. All she had to do was look for addresses that strangely had no phone numbers, and she finally located an small section of streets that housed an Abbott, a Weasley, and a Longbottom. The section was ten miles away, and Lily had just enough money for another cab, which she hailed quickly.

"Where can I take you, ma'am," the cabbie said.

"712 Theater St.," Lily responded.

* * *

><p>"Hurry up, James, or we'll be late," Mrs. Potter called up the stairs.<p>

The response was a heavy trunk heaved down the stairs. James didn't feel much like carrying it, so instead he kicked it from the top step. The trunk flipped end over end, clunking loudly each time one end hit the steps. It was a perfect strategy until the trunk hit a table, causing one of the picture to fall, the glass shattering on impact.

"James," Mrs. Potter groaned. "Is it too much effort to _carry _your trunk?" She waved her wand, and the picture flew back to its place, glass completely repaired, though the couple in the picture, one of Mr. Potter's friends from work, looked very annoyed at falling to the floor.

Just as Sirius had done, James slid down the railing like he had so many other times. He landed on his feet clumsily, and muttered, "Didn't feel like it."

Mrs. Potter put her hands on her hips. "What is going on with you? All this break you've been brooding, and the only prank you've pulled is switching the knives with the forks."

"Nothing, Mum. I'm fine," James muttered, trying to push past Mrs. Potter, but she wasn't having any of it. When James tried to pick up his foot, he found that it was stuck to the floor. "What the –"

Mrs. Potter frowned at him. "Young man, you better tell me what's going on. You never act like this, and it makes me worry. Until you start talking, you're not moving from this spot."

James glared at her, but he knew that she didn't usually give idle threats, which meant he wasn't going to move.

He sighed. "I screwed up, Mum. Happy now?"

"No. You need to be more specific."

"Fine," James grumbled. "I screwed up with Lily."

"Ah," Mrs. Potter said, speaking in a gentler tone. "What did you do this time?"

"Well, I – hey! I don't always mess up with Lily," James protested, and his mother laughed.

"Of course you don't, honey, but some of the things you've done in the name of love aren't exactly the way to a woman's heart. Lily strikes me as the type of girl who appreciates something sweet and thoughtful. You always want to show grand gestures for everybody to see, but not everybody likes the attention as much as you and Sirius."

It was good advice, but it wasn't what James needed to hear. "It's not like that, Mum. She found out about some things, and I may have thought she would tell. Now she's angry at me."

"I see," Mrs. Potter said, biting her lip thoughtfully. "James, the poor girl just lost her mother. Give her some time to recover from the shock first. I'm sure Lily would appreciate some alone time, and only after that would I approach her."

"But that doesn't make any sense. If I could just explain myself," he protested.

"And you can, but think about how she's feeling right now, James. Trust me, she'll thank you for giving her some air. Now come on, you need to get back to school."

"Why do we have to leave again? Break doesn't end for another week!"

Mrs. Potter shrugged. "Because you're father and I agree that's it's safer for you there. There was talk about a scuffle between some Death Eaters and a couple of students a couple of days ago, and I'm not willing to take that chance with my only son. Hogwarts is much better protected. Besides, then you and Sirius will have the castle almost to yourself!"

"What scuffle? Which students – Mum …" James groaned, but his mother had undone the Sticking Charm and was ushering him out the door.

* * *

><p>Lily stood in front of the house nervously. It was similar to the other houses, and didn't scream magic, but there were little things, like the hippogriff door knocker which blinked once or twice, and the bushes the vines that shivered from the cold, and the driveway that was devoid of snow despite the flurries. They all hinted that the residents weren't entirely ordinary.<p>

She didn't know the people who lived here, but the Weasleys were well-known blood traitors and as likely to help her as anyone. Of course, they might not even be home. From the looks of it, the house was empty. Not a single light was on, but Lily needed to try anyways. The cold was really starting to get to her.

She walked right up to the door and knocked loudly. There was no response. She knocked again, louder, but still there was nothing. Swearing under her breath, Lily headed for the sidewalk before consulting her list. According to the map, there was a Longbottom living two blocks away. She held her hands under her arms for warmth before setting off to the next house.

This one was much more promising: there was a light on in the kitchen, and Lily could see an antique radio in front of the window so large and old that it just had to be a wizard or witch's radio. There was a hippogriff knocker, and Lily briefly wondered if that was how witches and wizards in this neighborhood identified each other. She hurried up the steps, not worried about ice since it had obviously been removed by magic.

_Knock, knock, knock!_

Lily heard somebody shout something to somebody else, probably "get the door!", and there was the sound of a tapping wand and the metal clicking, probably from unlocking locks. Finally the door swung open.

She had been fully prepared to give an entire speech to the residents about her plight. After all, times were tough, and she didn't expect anyone let another stranger into their house just willy-nilly. But when Lily saw who was at the door, she realized it was entirely unnecessary.

"Lily? What are you doing here?" Frank Longbottom asked.

**Ha! I bet most of you thought I would leave another year in between updates, but here I am! Normally I won't be updating this fast. Expect updates _ABOUT _every 2 weeks, though sometimes it will be longer or shorter. I have a goal of finishing James and Lily's sixth year before I start college. Once college starts, I'm going to take another break to get used to college life.**

**Thanks to my two reviewers: Infinity Lily and vampire-luver101. I love you guys so much for reviewing.**

**I hope that incredibly long gap in between chapters didn't scare everybody off. Please, please, please review!**

**Lots of Love,**

**WorldNerd12**


	72. Poppy Pomfrey Pops

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

Knock, knock, knock!

_Lily heard somebody shout something to somebody else, probably "get the door!", and there was the sound of a tapping wand and the metal clicking, probably from unlocking locks. Finally the door swung open._

_She had been fully prepared to give an entire speech to the residents about her plight. After all, times were tough, and she didn't expect anyone let another stranger into their house just willy-nilly. But when Lily saw who was at the door, she realized it was entirely unnecessary._

_"Lily? What are you doing here?" Frank Longbottom asked._

**Chapter 72: Poppy Pomfrey Pops**

It hadn't much to convince Frank to let her use the Floo Network. Somebody else had already alerted Frank that Lily was in trouble, and a quick owl to Hogwarts had allowed the fireplaces between the two to connect for a short period of time. Frank's mother, Augusta, had been a bit of a hassle since she was less inclined than Frank to believe that Lily was who she said she was and not a Death Eater in disguise, but once her son told her that Lily was leaving, she was nicer.

"I'm glad you got out okay," Frank said while Lily helped herself to some Floo powder. "I heard that Alice was really worried about you. She's been driving Madam Pomfrey crazy, pacing all up and down the hospital wing." Frank had left Hogwarts last year before leaving for the Auror Academy, but she knew that he and Alice still kept in touch, mainly by owl. It wasn't surprising that Alice had confided in him.

If Lily wasn't so exhausted, she would have laughed. "I'll make sure to put her mind at ease once and for all. Hogwarts!" she said clearly, and there was a burst of green flames. Lily started to spin faster and faster until she slid out of a different fireplace. Her elbow hit the edge of some bricks as she stumbled into the room, and she knew there was going to be a bruise there tomorrow.

"Ms, Evans, thank Merlin you're alright," Professor McGonagall said, converging on Lily as soon as she stood up. Lily had never seen her favorite professor look so worried. McGonagall's face was pale, and her voice held the slightest of quivers. "Hospital Wing, now. The Headmaster will be alerted to your arrival if he doesn't already know. Lily was too tired to argue, so she shuffled along while McGonagall kept one hand on her shoulder at all times as if she was afraid Lily would disappear.

Portraits whispered to each other as she passed them, and several followed her throughout several different frames. McGonagall gave several notorious gossipers glares, but Lily paid them no heed. What did they know anyways? If word of this got out, it wouldn't matter if the pictures had seen anything.

"LILY!"

Alice, who had come out of nowhere, threw her arms around her, almost knocking her over in the process. Lily stumbled back a couple paces before returning Alice's not-so-gentle hug. Something wet touched her cheek, and Lily realized that Alice was crying. She patted her back comfortingly.

"It's okay, Alice. 'M okay," Lily said softly.

"It's all my fault!" Alice blubbered. "None of this would have happened if I had been doing what I was there for! I was supposed to keep watch over you, but Manumali still got you. Oh, it's all my _fault_!"

"No, it's not, Alice. You're blameless." Lily continued to soothingly rub her back, but then the full weight of Alice's words started to sink in, and Lily took a step back, surveying her friend carefully.

"Wait. What do you mean you were supposed to watch me? Who told you that?"

Still sniffling, Alice brought the heel of her hand up to her face to wipe away the tears. "What?" she asked, completely oblivious to what she had let slip.

Just then Madam Pomfrey came hustling in. Lily tried to ask Alice one more time in a hushed whisper, but the ever-sharp Pomfrey would have none of it. She quickly shooed Alice away before she could hear the accusation properly and respond.

"Ms. Evans, thank Merlin! I was so worried about you when I heard – you look dead on your feet, girl! Good Golden Snidgets, what happened to your feet! Did you walk through an acromantula's nest …"

Lily laid back on the pristine white hospital bed that Madam Pomfrey guided her to without any fuss. Honestly, she wouldn't have put up a fuss if a horde of manticores came roaring through the doors. She was just so tired. How long had she up for? Forty hours? Fifty hours? The adrenaline and trepidation that had kept her going had vanished now, and all she felt was the fatigue that weighed her limbs down while her mind stayed frustratingly alert for any other danger.

"I've prepared a Sleeping Draught, Ms. Evans. This should put you out for a little bit," Madam Pomfrey said kindly.

Lily looked sadly at the goblet Madam Pomfrey was holding out, the images from the whirlwind of recent events flashing through her mind. The attack on Hogsmeade, Mary, the Muggle mine, the dangerous secret she now harbored for the Marauders, the funeral, the Death Eaters … They had all happened so fast, and a simple Sleeping Drought wasn't going to change that. That goblet would only let her take a nap. She didn't want a nap; she wanted to sleep. A long blissful, uninterrupted sleep with no tormenting nightmares and brief bouts of insomnia.

She glanced up at Madam Pomfrey, filling her eyes with as much desperation as she could. "Madam Pomfrey, you know what's happened. I just want rest, and a lot of it. Please," she begged, barely able to concentrate on her already slurred words.

Madam Pomfrey bit her lip. Lily knew that she always had a small storage area hidden in her office filled with every potion available since there was no telling what kinds of trouble the Marauders and other students could get up to. The extra-credit Lily had completed for Slughorn a couple of years ago showed all the different droughts and drafts Madam Pomfrey kept, and of those sample potions, Lily knew which one she wanted – no, _needed._

"I'll be back," the nurse finally said.

Lily didn't have to wait long for Madam Pomfrey to return with another goblet, this one much smaller. Lily peered over the rim as Madam Pomfrey reluctantly gave it to her. To others, the inky black surface would have screamed _danger!_ But Lily was a true potioneer, and a true potioneer knew what that surface meant.

"You know how careful I am with these dangerous potions, but if anybody needs it, I suppose you do. Here you are: one diluted Draught of the Living Death," Madam Pomfrey announced quietly. "If you're not awake by the end of next week, I'll wake you with the Wiggenweld Potion, whether you like it or not."

Lily nodded and silently whispered, "Thank you." The matron probably didn't hear the words, but she understood the message on the lips. Lily carefully lifted the cup to her chapped lips, wondering what such a potent potion would feel like. Would be like a normal sleep, or would it be even deeper than she could imagine? Could it possibly be both?

_Bottoms up_, she couldn't but think before falling into the deep slumber.

* * *

><p>James stared at the passing fields as the Hogwarts Express zipped through the countryside. Right before he and his parents had prepared to Apparate to the train station the first time around, Sirius had finally appeared with a much-needed distraction and enough Bouncing Bulbs to fill all of the greenhouses at Hogwarts. When Mr. and Mrs. Potter had demanded to know where he stole them from (they didn't want to know why or how), Sirius had insisted that he came across several in the wild and had been practicing his Gemino Curse. That welcome delay had pushed James and Sirius's departure date back to the very latest day possible while Mrs. Potter tracked down a suitable place to put the Bouncing Bulbs, which happened to be in the woods behind the Potter Manor.<p>

Now, however, James's free time was officially over. An animal had devoured most of the Bouncing Bulbs earlier in the week, and it had taken quite a lot of convincing for him to convince his parents to wait until the end of break to go back. Now the two boys were back on the train heading for Hogwarts. The sweets James had bought for the four Marauders were now haphazardly strewn around the compartment, and Sirius snored loudly with his nose squashed between the window and his head. Remus munched on some Licorice Wands while reading a book, and Peter was still digging through what was left of the sweets.

James himself was alternating between thinking and napping. It was unusual for him to stay in one position for so long while awake, but for once James didn't mind the peace save for Peter's habit of chewing loudly, but Sirius had taken care of that before falling asleep by casting a Silencing Charm on the boy. People passed the compartment on a regular basis, including several prefects. They were probably waiting for a big prank to appear any second, but James had nothing up his sleeve. Sure, it could be very easy for him to a well-deserving Slytherin with a hex or two, but for now he was content to doze.

The rest of the trip and subsequent carriage ride from the Hogsmeade platform up to the castle passed uneventfully. Sirius had finally woken up and played a game of Exploding Snap, and together the two of them had jinxed several Slytherin fifth years to walk with squeaky feet, earning an eye roll from Remus, but compared to other times, it was perhaps the tamest Hogwarts journey ever for the Marauders.

Unlike the start-of-term feast, the food was already waiting on the Gryffindor table for James when he came in. The Marauders got their usual spot towards the back of the Great Hall, and Sirius took the seat next to James while Remus and Peter sat opposite the two. It was emptier than usual. James was surprised at how many people were late getting of the Hogwarts Express. Perhaps it wasn't just the Marauders who were feeling lethargic.

Soon, however, it became clear that the problem wasn't how fast people could get off the train, but how many people were on in the first place. The trickle in from the carriages had mostly stopped, and while there weren't enough gaps to be glaringly obvious, the tell-tale signs still showed: friends still looking for people who hadn't joined them yet, first years joyfully claiming spots that were usually full of the more intimidating groups, teacher's frowns when they noticed several star pupils were nowhere to be found.

"Where is everybody?" James whispered to Sirius under his breath while pouring generous amounts of steak sauce over his sirloin.

Sirius shrugged, noticing the same problem as well. The only table with full numbers were the Slytherins, something James knew was never a good sign. While there were only little openings on the normally crowded benches dotted along the mass of Hogwarts students, it was still worrying.

Remus had also noticed the problem. "It's the Muggle-borns. They're not all here," he said. With that realization, James searched even more desperately for the signature red hair he loved so much, but there were none who matched.

His spirits fell, but they soon lifted again when he saw Alice and Marlene enter the Great Hall. They had no melted snow on the shoulders and no faces that were bright red from the cold, leading James to believe they had been in the castle for a while. He strained his neck, almost standing up to see clearly, but Lily was not with them. Nor, it seemed, was Mary. His mood fell as quickly as it had risen.

Alice spotted the Marauders, and the two girls hurried over to claim the open spots next to them. Marlene suggestively brushed against Sirius before taking a seat beside Remus. She flipped her luscious brown hair over her shoulder, eyes sparkling at Sirius who grinned in response. James simply looked away; those two never seemed to care how they acted around each other, even in public.

Thankfully Alice was more reserved. Her previously golden curls had lost some of their luster and reverted back to their dirty-blond waves. However, she was as cheerful as ever when she took the seat next to James. Normally this would have made his day since Lily and Alice almost always sat together, but sadly, Lily wasn't here.

"Where are Mary and Lily?" Remus asked once the two girls were finally situated.

Marlene scooped up some mashed potatoes before answering. "Mary's family want her to spend some time at St. Mungo's. There's some recovery program that they have for people who have gone through what she went through, and her grandmother convinced her parents to send there for a little while. They have a couple of witches and wizards there to teach any unqualified witches and wizards so Mary doesn't fall behind on schoolwork too much while she's away."

"That can't be where everybody else has gone," Sirius pointed out to Marlene. "Do you know what happened to the others?"

It was Alice who answered. "Dorcas overheard a couple of Muggle-borns talking about leaving until things settle down. I know for a fact that Beth Quagmire and Nancy Hudson have already arrived in the States with their families; they're living together. Sara Gonzalez is taking a plane with her father to Canada tomorrow."

"What about Lily?" James pressed. He didn't want to stop Alice from telling them everything she knew, but he needed to know the Lily wasn't fleeing to some small, unreachable town in Hawaii.

Marlene rolled her eyes. "Relax, James. Lily's been in the castle for some time now."

He triple-checked the table, but still no Lily. Besides, Alice and Marlene would have rather joined her for supper than the Marauders. "Where? I would have seen her by now."

"Hospital Wing," Alice casually explained, cutting her chicken into smaller bites. Peter tried to offer her ketchup, but she wrinkled her nose in disgust, shooing the condiment away. It was probably for the best since Peter was having difficulty opening the bottle.

The worry must have shown on his face because Alice quickly added, "She's fine, James. She's sleeping right now, but Madam Pomfrey is letting us see her after dinner." To the oblivious onlooker, she would have seemed unconcerned, but upon closer examination, there was a tightness to her lips which suggested otherwise.

"I'm coming with," James said automatically.

Alice sighed. "I would say no, but I have the feeling you're coming whether we like it or not."

James gave her as lazy grin he could manage under the circumstances. "That's the Marauder way, Prewett."

She gave him an eye roll almost identical to Remus's and continued to eat her dinner. He didn't want to wait for the girls to finish their food, but Madam Pomfrey knew him too well to allow into the Hospital Wing on his own with no supervision. At least he had a distraction in the form of food and Peter trying to clean up the ketchup he had spilled everywhere.

Alice and Marlene seemed to purposefully take a long time. At first James thought they were stalling him until Marlene pointed out that Madam Pomfrey would probably let him visit if he vowed to wash the hospital bed sheets should anything remotely prank-like happen, and James was already anxious to see her. So after checking that the girls weren't going to return for a little bit, he hurried out of the Great Hall and up to the Hospital Wing.

Despite the fact that James had hardly been gone several weeks, the castle had changed drastically. Portraits who were normally very chatty now only spoke in whispers, and the few ghosts he passed along the way kept glancing nervously over their shoulder. Hogwarts in general seemed to be dimming. This would have been an excellent time to brighten everybody's day with a couple of pranks, but James himself was suffering from the depression cast over his beloved castle.

Finally James reached the doors to the Hospital Wing, and it, at least, had remained unchanged save for the few people who were discharged over break and the curtains surrounding a bed at the end. He could just see the hem of Madam Pomfrey's usual maroon robes peeking out from under the privacy curtains.

"What's wrong with her?" James asked, and Madam Pomfrey jumped in surprise, nearly dropping her wand.

"Potter, I wasn't expecting you quite so soon," Madam Pomfrey said, smiling at him. The Marauders' antics plus James's Quidditch games had put him and Sirius in here many times, at least twice a week, and the matron had developed a soft spot for them, though it usually disappeared when she was reprimanding them for whatever nonsense they had gotten themselves into. That, and she always tried to get them to call her Madam Pomfrey rather than "Mamma Poppy."

"I'm here to see Lily," he said, trying to see around Madam Pomfrey. Strands of red hair that could only be Lily's splayed over the spotless pillow, and Madam Pomfrey moved aside, revealing a sleeping Lily.

James exhaled a sigh of relief. Alice hadn't been lying; Lily _was _sleeping. For the first time since he had met Lily, her face was entirely peaceful. There were no lines of worry or frowning lips, just a smooth, perfect face. Her right hand lay front of her face, and a small lock of hair that had fallen over her nose fluttered with each breath she took.

He pulled a chair closer so he could sit, wincing at how loud it was. Madam Pomfrey grimaced at that, but Lily didn't twitch, so Madam Pomfrey continued her hourly check on her patient.

James knew most of the list by heart since Madam Pomfrey had treated him and Sirius more than any other student, but he was surprised when she raised the sheet to scan Lily's feet. Half-healed cuts and scrapes covered her tiny feet. Madam Pomfrey dripped some liquid onto the scratches. Several more pink lines disappeared, but two parallel cuts about a centimeter looked like they would permanent scars.

"How long has she been here?"

"Twelve days," Madam Pomfrey said, tugging the covers back down so her feet wouldn't get cold.

"That seems like a long time to keep somebody here, even for you, Mamma Poppy," James observed. It must have been serious for Lily to be here for so long, but she looked fine.

"She's been sleeping, Potter," Madam Pomfrey explained briskly, poking the water jug with her wand to magically cool it. "She took a diluted Draught of the Living Death, though she should be awake any day now."

James stared at the matron. "You gave it to her? Just like that?"

"Of course not, Potter. I don't hand that potion out willy-nilly. She asked for it rather than the normal Sleeping Draft I give to most students," Madam Pomfrey said. Apparently satisfied that Lily was alright for the time being, she stuck her wand back in her robes. "And before you get any ideas, I keep _that _sleeping potion safely guarded." With that, she left to go to her office.

It was obvious now that Lily was under the influence of a powerful sleeping potion since she hadn't twitched a single time during the whole conversation. Considering how many times he overheard Lily talking about Marlene waking her up in the dead of night, he had gathered long ago that she was a light sleeper despite the fact that she woke even later than Sirius did on weekends and was prone to cursing any unfortunate soul dumb enough to try to wake her.

He had been hoping to talk to Lily about the night during the full moon, but even if James wasn't the top Potions student, he still knew the effects of the powerful sleeping potion. Though he could certainly nick a Wiggenweld Potion from Madam Pomfrey, James couldn't bring himself to wipe that serene expression off Lily's face, so instead he just sat back and waited for the other Gryffindor girls to come up.

* * *

><p>She had never experienced anything like this before. The thoughtless blanket that shrouded her mind from the world was as comforting as her mother's embrace. It protected her, sheltered her. Sleep had never been so pacifying and timeless than it was now, and Merlin, was the sleep so … calming. An eternity could have passed by, but she would be content to just slumber on.<p>

Slowly, the blanket lifted piece by piece. First Lily was aware of her body that had previously been detached from her resting mind; she gradually became aware of her arms and legs, then her fingers and toes. She could have moved them, but Lily was didn't feel like moving at the moment. Where was the rush anyways? She was sleeping after all. Next thing she noticed were the voices, though if she could feel surprised at the moment, she would. They were so loud after such a long period of silence, it was a wonder Lily hadn't woken earlier.

The heavenly blanket was almost gone now, and she was sluggishly drifting back into reality. Lily fought against it, but once she was awake, she was awake. The voices, once muddled and amplified by the disbanding effects of that incredibly potent sleeping potion, were now at normal levels, and Lily could easily identify the speakers, though it sounded like an dispute. The group was standing six feet, maybe seven feet away.

Temptation flirted with her when she thought about how startled Alice would be if she screamed _"boo!" _However, her limbs still felt too heavy to move, and as Marauder-ly as it was, she couldn't help but eavesdrop, especially after she heard her name mentioned. Given how the conversation didn't slow the slightest, Lily knew that they were oblivious to the newest set of ears listening in on the conversation – or rather, argument.

"… aside, Prewett. She's _my_ friend, and I have a right to know." Lily would have known the voice anywhere, whether it be at the playground almost eight years ago or in the dungeons before a Potions lesson. It was Severus.

"She _was _your friend," somebody else corrected. The second voice was feminine with the familiar Scottish lilt: Alice. "Before you called her that horrible word in front of the entire school. Now I suggest you leave before Madam Pomfrey arrives."

Severus's voice dropped to a dangerous, low undertone that Lily strained to hear. "Get out of my way, Prewett. I need to talk with Lily alone, so _get out my way_. I'm the only one who knows her and can understand what she's going through. You're just jealous."

"Jealous, Snape? _Jealous?_" Alice demanded, her tone halfway between anger and incredulity. "Why would I be jealous of _you_? You're running around with a bunch of Slytherins like the cowards you are, not me. You're the one who ruined your friendship with Lily, not me. It was always about the power with you, Snape, and you're even stupider than I thought if you think you deserve another shot with Lily."

Severus sneered. "At least _I_ don't let my friends fight my battles for me."

"I'm don't –" Alice began, but the doors banged open, and Lily heard more footsteps echoing across the stone tiles.

"What are _you _doing here?" Severus suddenly spat with as much hatred as he could. There was only one person Lily knew of who Severus would speak to like that, and her heart quickened as the newest voice confirmed who had joined them.

"Well," James began in a mocking voice that made Lily dread whatever happened next. "Sirius and I were innocently walking along the corridor, looking for grease spots to Vanish when Sirius here smelled burnt grease coming from the Hospital Wing. Contamination can become a very big problem, and a slimeball like you could wipe off the excess grease right where poor, harmless students sleep. Isn't that, right, Padfoot?"

"It was very easy," Sirius said nastily. "We just had to follow that horrible smell you're always giving off, Snape."

Lily was already up. It wouldn't take much for the situation to escalate, but as Lily searched for her wand, Severus had already started casting his spell.

"_Sectum-_"

"DUELLING IN THE HOSPITAL WING! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MINDS?" Madam Pomfrey bellowed, bursting out of her office, wand in hand. All three boys jumped at the sudden arrival. "THESE STUDENTS NEED PEACE AND QUIET, AND YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DISTRACT THEM! I WILL NOT HAVE IT! POTTER, BLACK, SNAPE, REPORT TO THE HEADMASTER'S OFFICE!_ IMMEDIATELY!_"

Both James and Severus were always formidable when confronting each other, but right now, everything seemed tiny compared to Madam Pomfrey's fury at catching three students disrupting her hospital's peace with all three wands pointed at each other. The normally kind matron was now anything but. She summoned the boys' wands towards her, and none of them dared question the matron.

They were gone immediately, and Madam Pomfrey, still red with anger, hurried over to check on Lily once she realized that she was conscious. Lily spotted Remus's dirty-blond head laying on a pillow at the end of the Hospital Wing. He had been sleeping, but thanks to Madam Pomfrey's outburst, he was now wide awake, the circles under his eyes more noticeable than ever, even with the distance between her and Remus.

Alice yelped. "Lily, you're awake!"

"If that really just happened, then yeah," Lily said, staring at the doors that the boys had just exited.

* * *

><p>"Careful, Snape, I don't want your grease getting on my robes. It would take forever to wash the taint out," James scorned as soon as Madam Pomfrey was out of sight. His mother's advice had been to leave Lily alone for a while, but when he had seen Snape's dot close to the Hospital Wing, he couldn't help the jealousy that had reared up. James never thought he would be jealous of Severus Snape, but he was.<p>

James had finally learned the truth behind Lily's strange friendship with the greasy Slytherin during those precious moments in the greenhouses. It should have put his mind to rest now that he finally knew, but standing in front of Snape, the knowledge only made his hatred that much more stronger. No matter what happened in the future, no matter how hard he tried, Lily would always have that connection to Snape, and that was close to unbearable.

Snape sneered. "I didn't think you were –"

"I know I must be interrupting a terribly important conversation," McGonagall said, instantly appearing beside in a flash. "But Madam Pomfrey told you to go to the Headmaster's office. Considering your pasts, I think it would be best if I escort you there."

All three of them started to trudge ahead, but McGonagall suddenly stuck her hand out. "Not you, Potter. You wait in my office."

James glanced at Sirius, curious, but his best friend couldn't think of anything else to say. It must have been important if McGonagall was letting him skip an appointment with the Headmaster. He wanted to ask, but McGonagall's expression was stern, and he had learned long ago that she was not one to budge, so there wasn't much to do but what he was told.

McGonagall's office wasn't far, but with nothing else to distract him, James reached the professor's office, still thinking. What was so imperative that he miss out on punishment? Her mood hadn't been somber, but that didn't mean something bad hadn't happened. Were his parents okay? Did something happen to Dilly? James seated himself on the rug in the office like he had the countless times before, only this time he had no clue why he was here.

It didn't long for McGonagall to appear again. James, who had been tapping his wand to try to see how many different colors of sparks he could produce, quickly stood up at the professor entered.

"What's wrong, Professor?" he asked.

"Sit," she said, flicking her wand.

A hardwood chair appeared out of nowhere, and James sat, studying McGonagall as she took her own, and much comfier, seat. Her lips were thin were anger, but again, what had he done? Wracking his brains, James tried to remember anything, but besides the occasional harmless prank and small jinx, there was nothing. In fact, this was probably the best behaved he had ever been in Hogwarts.

"If I am correct, your family is planning on backing Ms. Evans against the Ministry this summer?" McGonagall said curtly, shuffling a few pieces of parchment into a pile and placing it on the corner of her desk before looking directly at him.

James had almost forgotten about that. Campbell had drifted to the back of his mind in light of the other events that had transpired, but now that McGonagall mentioned it, he couldn't believe how much closer the summer was.

"Yes," James said slowly.

"Good," McGonagall said. She handed James a piece of folded parchment that contained his mum's handwriting. "Your mother doesn't want you to come home during Easter break. The Minister was unable to charge Ms. Evans with anything to stick, but he's still calling both of you as a material witnesses, and you must appear before the Wizengamot on the twenty-fifth of June."

"Why? We're still in school," James pointed out.

"Some of the policies attached to the laws affect our school. Ms. Evans is one of the top students and a prefect, and no matter how much you and Black slack off, the fact still remains that you're a very talented wizard." McGonagall gave him another look, but _that _look was one that James knew well. "Now, your mother wants you to prepare Ms. Evans for the Wizengamot, and considering you're family's role in the upcoming proceedings, Ministry officials will soon be in and out of your home. Both she and your father think it best for you to be away from those distractions."

"Why do I have to do it?" James asked. There was still the small problem that Lily wasn't talking to him after that night during the full moon when she had finally learned about him, along with Sirius and Peter, becoming illegal Animagi, though he had taken it as a good sign that no Dementors had shown up to arrest them – yet.

McGonagall looked surprised. "I would have thought that you would jump at any chance to spend time with Ms. Evans, Potter." It shouldn't have shocked James that McGonagall knew of his frequent pursuit of Lily, but he was still a little surprised. Then again, who didn't? "Regardless, Minister Leach has stated that no fully-qualified witch or wizard not included in the hearings is able to discuss, explain, or coach any witnesses on any information relating to the trial."

"But I'm underage," he realized slowly. His seventeenth birthday wasn't until March after all, falling on the week after Hogwarts students returned from Easter break.

The professor smiled. "Precisely, Potter, and you're one of the few who know enough to advise Ms. Evans. It's imperative she be fully equipped for the Wizengamot's interrogation. As the only Muggle-born student they're calling forward, Ms. Evans will have to be at her best."

"They're not calling any other students?" he asked.

"There are six others who will receive the subpoena," McGonagall said. "Ms. Bones, Mr. Lestrange, Ms. Vasquez, Mr. Mulciber, Ms. Gamp, and Ms. Rogers will all be expected to testify."

"Bloody hell, how long is this supposed to take?" he demanded.

McGonagall's eyes flashed. "Language, Potter. The hearings start in the middle of June, but other people will be testifying before you and the other students. Ms. Evans, however, is not as accustomed to the Wizarding government as the others, and she needs to be ready."

James ran through the names in his head. All of the students called as witnesses were in their final years at Hogwarts, and all were pure-bloods, save Eric Rogers, who was a half-blood and also the current Head Boy. He, along with Amelia Bones, the Head Girl, and Dawn Vasquez, a seventh year perfect Sirius had daydreamt about many times, had nothing against Muggles and Muggle-borns, so James had no need to worry about them, but the others were a different story. It would be easy to guess which way Mulciber and Lestrange would swing, and Astoria Gamp, the Slytherin and only other girl in their year who could rival Marlene's beauty (except Lily of course), would be an unknown until the inquiry.

"So … we're all going to stay at Hogwarts during Easter break?" he asked. That wouldn't be so bad. Remus was already staying since there was a full moon, and Sirius wasn't likely to go back to his parent's house after all that had transpired during the previous summer.

McGonagall frowned. "That depends. Easter will be the only time you have to prepare, but Ms. Evans may want to spend it elsewhere. Needless to say, I expect you to behave, Potter."

James flashed her a grin he hadn't used in ages. "On Marauder's honor, Minnie."

This was familiar territory, but McGonagall was still as strict as ever. "I mean it, Potter. Nobody can afford you two quarreling nonstop."

"What if she doesn't want to talk to me?" he asked. Even if the professor hadn't known about the incident in December, the fights between James Potter and Lily Evans were well-known throughout the school, bordering legendary. It was an entirely honest question.

"Then I suggest you deal with that in a smart way. After all, as you and Black have been tirelessly telling everybody who would listen for the past six years, you are smarter than most other students your age. Besides, Ms. Evans will realize how critical this hearing is; she will want to be ready. That is all, Potter."

James recognized the dismissal and headed for the door.

"Oh, and Potter?"

"Yes, Professor?" he asked, turning back to face her.

"The detention you earned from Pomfrey, that can be served with Filch tonight. Eight o'clock, sharp."

James stopped. Tonight? Tonight was the full moon. Without Prongs around, Padfoot couldn't control the werewolf with only Wormtail for backup; they would have to let their friend deal with the full moon on his own. Remus's transformations were agonizing for him as is, but without all of his friends there to help, it was only going to be worse. Surely he could convince McGonagall to reschedule?

"Uh, Professor?"

"Yes, Potter?"

"Tonight isn't the best night for me," James said, twisting his hands together.

McGonagall regarded him coolly. "I wasn't under the impression that detentions were only given during convenient times, Potter. Classes don't start again until day after tomorrow. Eight o'clock, Potter. Tonight."

**Hello!**

**I tried to put in a good conversation with Frank, but I kept coming up blank, so I just kind of skimmed over that part. I hope you liked it. Sixth year is coming to a close soon, and then it will be Lily and James's final year! Yay! Hope your as excited as I am.**

**This is going to be one of those instances when the update is a little sooner than two weeks. I have a little bit of down time before training for my new job starts, and then I'm off to college! Yahoo!**

**Thanks times a million to everybody who reviewed: Infinity Lily, Miss Lily Evans Forever, vampire-luver101, megz93, Runs-with-vampires, and Chai Lottie (HAPPY DAY-OF-BIRTH!) Love you all so much!**

**I'm begging all you lovelies out there to review! PRETTY, PRETTY PUH-LEAZE!**

**Lots of pleases,**

**WorldNerd12**


	73. A Deadly Trick

_Previously on _The Sun Still Rises_:_

_"The detention you earned from Pomfrey, that can be served with Filch tonight. Eight o'clock, sharp."_

_James stopped. Tonight? Tonight was the full moon. Without Prongs around, Padfoot couldn't control the werewolf with only Wormtail for backup; they would have to let their friend deal with the full moon on his own. Remus's transformations were agonizing for him as is, but without all of his friends there to help, it was only going to be worse. Surely he could convince McGonagall to reschedule?_

_"Uh, Professor?"_

_"Yes, Potter?"_

_"Tonight isn't the best night for me," James said, twisting his hands together._

_McGonagall regarded him coolly. "I wasn't under the impression that detentions were only given during convenient times, Potter. Classes don't start again until day after tomorrow. Eight o'clock, Potter. Tonight."_

**Chapter 73: A Deadly Trick**

Sirius was determined to keep as much space between him and Snape as possible. Visits to the Headmaster for quite common for him, but it was usually his best friend sitting with him on the other side of Dumbledore's desk, not that little slimeball with an overlarge nose and a soft spot for Voldemort. Snape was glowering at him as well, but in the presence of the Headmaster, neither dared do anything more.

"It is quite rare for Madam Pomfrey to give students detention," Dumbledore said after a moment of silence. He surveyed both of them, but Sirius was determined not to break his gaze. "Either of you care to explain why she needed to remove you from the Hospital Wing?"

"Potter and Black attacked me," Snape said quickly.

"That's a lie," Sirius snapped viciously. "He was the only one who had even started a curse."

"The only reason you were there was to make my life as miserable as you could, just like you have for six years, Black," Snape shot back. "I wanted to make sure Lily was okay, Headmaster. That was all."

That was the one thing Sirius didn't need to hear about. The mystery surrounding Lily and Snape's friendship had always baffled him, but even though he firmly believed she had no sense of humor and would never understand how James's fell for such a goody-two-shoes, there had been those moments when he had glanced a different side of Lily he had never thought existed. Those moments in the attic when the Inferi surrounded them and death had seemed imminent, _Lily_ was the one who stood by his side. For some reason, she had kept his Animagus status a secret despite everything the Marauders had put her through, even knowing that she could be charged as an accomplice should the Ministry ever find out.

She would make the worst friend, always yelling at him and James to follow the rules and trying to stop their pranks, but she was an ally, and that was something Sirius would honor.

"Don't flatter yourself, Snivellus," he sneered. "Contrary to what you believe now that all those buckets of grease have seeped into your tiny brain and muddled it even more than anybody would think possible, we don't follow you around, unlike you do to us. We were simply concerned about a fellow Gryffindor; Lily-Flower doesn't need any reminder about what you called her in front of the whole school. Even you can't think that she would –"

"Shut up!" Snape suddenly screamed, leaping to his feet in a rage. "You have no idea what you're talking about. For once in your life, Black, SHUT UP!"

Sirius grinned. "Did I touch a nerve, Snape? I never thought –"

"Enough," Dumbledore said. Neither Sirius nor Snape said anything. Dumbledore hadn't raised his voice or anything, but that sparkle was no longer present in his piercing blue eyes as he observed the two of them. Sirius shivered under that hard gaze. "Sit down, Mr. Snape. Please."

Snape threw one last look of pure detestation at Sirius before reluctantly taking his seat.

"The both of you will serve detention: Mr. Black, you will be helping Professor Slughorn sort through rotted Flobberworms, and you, Mr. Snape, will be helping Professor Kettleburn dispose of his Hippogriff manure. You will both be ready to work at eight o'clock later tonight. You are now dismissed, and I hope I don't have to remind the two of you to keep your distance from each other."

* * *

><p>The common room was relatively empty when James entered. Most students were still at dinner or hastily finishing homework that they still hadn't done over break in the library. James spotted a couple of fourth years in the corner with a Gobstones set while a group of tiny first years huddled over a fuzzy mouse, poking their wands to see what would happen. Perhaps he could give the mouse fangs and red eyes, just to see how the first years would react, but then he decided he was too tired to bother with them.<p>

The only other person in the common room was Lily who was currently curled up against a window. She had claimed that place ever since their first year, but nobody had ever bothered fighting her over it since the alcove was barely large enough for one person and many Gryffindors like to sit in groups. Of course, when they wanted, the sixth year Gryffindor girls could always claim their usual sofa, but right now Lily seemed content in her little area. Unlike when James had last seen her, Lily was fully awake, her quill furiously scribbling across the parchment. A Herbology book lay open next to her, but she barely consulted it.

"Hey, Evans," James said hesitantly, ruffling his hair nervously.

The quill paused for three seconds before resuming whatever it had been writing. Lily didn't look up and instead just tucked her beautiful red hair behind her ear to better see the parchment. "What is it, Potter?" she asked curtly. There was so anger or anything, but her tone clearly implied she wanted him to leave.

"We need to talk," he said.

"I'm busy," was the reply, and Lily continued on her work, not once moving her eyes from her parchment.

James glanced at the title of her parchment: _The Uses of Venomous Tentacula and It's Byproducts. _It was one of the many essays Sprout had assigned them, but it wasn't due for another week. Of course, he shouldn't be surprised that Lily would finish it early. Unlike him, she cared about her homework and always strove to improve.

"It's important," he insisted, but Lily coolly ignored him. She set the now full parchment on her Herbology book and continued to compose her essay on the blank parchment underneath the first sheet. Her writing wasn't as neat and curly as Marlene's, but it was still much more legible than Peter's tiny scrawl.

"Please," James said.

That annoying quill finally stopped moving. Lily sighed heavily before looking up at him. The setting sun gleamed against that perfect hair, casting a golden glow over her flawless skin. She really was stunning. Something tugged at his heart as he studied those brilliant emerald eyes, but he knew perfectly well that she did not reciprocate those feelings.

"Potter, I'm in no mood for banter. If you're worried I'll spill your secret, don't. You did what you did out of loyalty to Remus, I know that now, and that's something I can respect. Now please, leave me be," Lily said before resuming her homework in what was a clear dismissal.

James grimaced. He almost would have preferred Lily be yelling at him rather than this calm indifference, but there was nothing to be done. Time had proved that she was just as stubborn as he was. Perhaps his mother was right; maybe Lily did just need some time alone.

But not before he explained himself. No, she needed to hear what he had to say before any more time increased negative feelings. "I'm not going to apologize for what we did," James said. "I would do it again in a heartbeat to help Remus, but I am sorry for putting you in that kind of position."

Lily didn't move; he looked for the slightest sign that might hint as what she was thinking, but her long curtain of hair had fallen from behind her shoulder, hiding her face and any trace of those green, green eyes. The only difference he noticed was that the quill had stopped. Her hand relaxed ever so slightly, the quill dropping the smallest bit.

When there was no response, James sighed and turned to leave.

"You know," Lily said from behind him, and he turned back around, hopeful. She waved her wand, and all of the supplies flew into a neat pile in her bag before she gave James a final, level look, but the corners of her lips twitched the smallest bit upwards, as if she were fighting a smile. "I never would have expected a stag." Without another word, she swept past him to the stairs that led up to her dormitory, leaving James to wonder if that was a pardon or not.

* * *

><p>Sirius rubbed his nose, trying to erase the stink of putrefied Flobberworms, but there was no use. Slughorn had been supervising the detention, and though he had allowed Sirius to wear dragon-skin gloves, he had still been forced to sit in a room full of those decaying things for hours. It was now almost eleven, and Sirius was eager for his waiting bed.<p>

The full moon glittered outside, shining liquid silver on the floors of Hogwarts. That was the one thing Sirius had regretted about the detention. Neither he nor Prongs were able to accompany Moony through his monthly transformations. Wormtail couldn't go alone; the werewolf would have eaten him alive. The adventures he had as Padfoot were some of the best times of his life, but Remus had insisted that he would be fine for one night while he and James finished their separate detentions, and there was no way of knowing when James finished his own detention with McGonagall.

"Out for a little walk in the moonlight?"

Sirius stiffened, and turned around. Snape was standing there, wand clenched in his fist and hollow black eyes shining with complete and total hatred. A strong odor that could only be dung from the Hippogriff herd Hagrid kept and loaned to Professor Kettleburn for Care of Magical Creatures classes followed him, and Sirius wrinkled his nose at the disgusting smell. He had also come from detention it would seem, though his had dealt with manure instead of decayed Flobberworms.

"Snivelly, you're trailing grease all over the floor again. Tut-tut, Filch isn't going to be happy," Sirius mocked in an almost sing-song voice. The only upside was that there was no need to censor his words from nearby professors.

"Tell me, Black, does your dear mother know the filth you hang around with?" Snape asked, his voice dripping with disdain. "She obviously disowned you for _something_ with the way Regulus explained it to me. My, my, you should have heard him talk about when you ran away with your tail between your legs. So sad, but so angry as well. Tell me, how does it feel to know your own brother hates you?"

Hot anger erupted inside Sirius at those words. Snape knew nothing, _nothing_, about his brother. He could accept the fact his mother hated him – he hated her as well. But Regulus …

"You shut your mouth," Sirius demanded in a low, perilous voice that wasn't his own. For six years Snape had tried to get underneath his and James's skin for all of the ridicule they had put him through. It almost never worked; Sirius simply didn't care much about unimportant things, but that had never stopped Snape from trying. Now, it would seem, he had finally discovered something to needle with with.

Snape raised one, greasy eyebrow. "Did I touch a nerve, Black?" he echoed gleefully. "What are you going to do now? Potter's not here to make it a fair fight. Where is he anyways? Off dealing with Lupin's furry side?" There was a dangerous glint to Snape's eyes. "How do you think Lupin will react when he finally bites off Potter's head? I'll be delighted, but I don't think that he will feel the same way."

The six years of animosity between the two men had finally come to a boiling point. Sirius may have been a Gryffindor, but he was also a Black, no matter how many times he denied it, and he was a Black who saw nothing but an enemy to deal with. Snape should have known, but all Sirius felt was the incensed fury directed at the one person standing in front of him. Snape wanted to see where he and the other Marauders went all the time. Always trying to get them expelled, but he didn't know what transpired in the Shrieking Shack every full moon. Perhaps Sirius should indulge him for once - just once, and then Sirius would never have to worry again; Snape would be too terrified to ever go near them anymore.

He wanted Remus so badly? Fine, he would get him … part of him.

"Press the knot on the trunk of the Whomping Willow."

Snape froze. "What?" he demanded, raising his wand so it pointed at Sirius's nose. He had obviously been expecting another snide comment about how greasy his hair was, so the words had caught him completely off guard.

_Good, _Sirius thought.

He smiled coldly, not even glancing down once towards the wand. "You heard me. Want to know where we always disappear to? Press the knot," he invited.

"You're lying," Snape said flatly.

"Am I? Either way, what's the harm in looking. It would only be a peek after all."

Snape surveyed him critically, slowing moving backwards towards the entrance to the grounds, trying to decipher what prank the Marauders had concocted this time. It was too good to be true, but nothing else happened. Sirius didn't try to stop him, and Snape was almost at the end of the corridor. He glanced around one more time, but what nobody popped out to curse him, he turned tail and ran out onto the grounds and towards the tree that separated Remus from everybody else while he was in werewolf form.

Sirius didn't feel any regret or concern. After all, it was about time that slimy git finally got what was coming to him.

* * *

><p>James was too exhausted to even take the stairs to his bed, so instead he threw himself onto the nearest loveseat, his limbs dangling over the edge. Filch, the nasty git, had forced him to clean up without magic after all the birds that McGonagall's third years were practicing on, and wouldn't let him go until after every desk in the Transfiguration classroom was spotless to his critical eyes.<p>

Distant howls echoed from the Forbidden Forest, and he felt the guilt sink lower into his stomach. This wasn't the first full moon that he had missed since becoming an illegal Animagus, but he hurt just thinking about Remus locked up in the tiny rooms of the Shrieking Shack. But he would not miss the next one, he promised himself silently. No, next time he would be there for Remus.

The portrait opened again, and James looked up to see Sirius walk into the all but empty common room. He had a smile on his face, but it wasn't the smile James was used to seeing on him. A gleam flickered in those grey eyes, and with a start, James recognized it as the same manic glint Bellatrix Lestrange had when he had witnessed her torture Lily. It was weird, seeing the shadow of a Black behind the smile that should have been impish from whatever prank he had managed to pull off, but that didn't change the fact that it was still there.

"Prongs, we won't have to worry about old Snivellus ever again," Sirius said, taking the seat next to James.

If it had been any other time, he would have been positively joyful to hear those words, but now, studying his best friend, there was an uneasiness that slipped through James like an Ashwinder slithers over charred wood. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm mean that Snape's finally getting what's coming to him," Sirius said, propping his feet up on the table. He was grinning in a way that was different from all the other times they had shared laughs: more calculating and less playful. He seemed very proud of himself.

James sat up, his sleepiness abated now. "Padfoot, what did you do?"

Sirius began tossing his wand in the air again and again, tip over end. "Snape's in the tunnel that leads to the Shrieking Shack. After the scare that slimy git finally deserves, I don't think he'll ever be able to top us. He'll be too worried looking over his shoulder for monsters. Good, huh?"

"How the hell did he find out?" James cried, leaping to his feet.

His friend caught his wand, but instead of tossing it up again, he stared blankly at him. "I told him, Prongs. He deserves it for all that stuff he's done."

James didn't even try to justify a response; his head was soon swirling with fury, disbelief, and fear. Never had he thought that he would fear for Snape, his and Sirius's mortal enemy, but he was. Yes, he hated him more than anything, but never – _never – _would he wish that Slytherin dead. And Remus! He wouldn't ever forgive himself if something happened to somebody who came across him on a full moon, even if that somebody was Snape.

Sirius sat up as well. "Prongs?"

There was nothing else to be done. James bolted for the portrait entrance, for once not caring if a teacher or Merlin forbid, Peeves caught him wandering the castle corridors in the dead of night. A thousand detentions was better than what would happen if Snape ever reached that door which held a bloodthirsty werewolf right behind it, unbarred and unrelenting.

"Prongs, wait! Where are you –"

Time was precious, too precious for him to stop to answer to the friend who had just betrayed another's deepest secret. So wand in hand and no Invisibility Cloak to hide him from the suspecting eyes of those who patrolled the corridors at night, James raced to save the life on the man he hated.

* * *

><p>Severus kept a cautious eye on his surroundings, but so far nothing had hindered him. No bucket of Stink Pellets, no jinxes, no nothing. The Whomping Willow swayed innocently in the breeze just as it always did, and Snape hesitated only slightly before levitating a stone to press the barely visible but still large knot at the base of the trunk. Just as Black had said, the tree froze instantly.<p>

Excitement rose as Severus entered the small tunnel entrance close to the grass. There was always a possibility that Black had lied, but if he was telling the truth, Lupin would finally be revealed for the monster he was. The Marauders would be finished, that silver-haired fool would be disgraced, the Slytherins would be awed, and Lily … Lily would finally realize he had been telling the truth all along. The forgiveness and kindness he yearned for would be his once again. The girl he had loved with all his heart since before he had known what love really was would back by his side, emerald green eyes sparkling with warmth and perfect lips laughing with joy, just like it should have always been between the two of them.

_Oh, Lily, _he couldn't help but think as he made his way through the earthy tunnel, _I miss you more than you could ever know_.

After what seemed like forever, the tunnel that had started to progressively shrink until it forced Severus to his knees suddenly expanded into an underground cavern. Though it was only composed of dirt, it had been smoothed down from something magical. Severus flicked his lit wand back and forth until he saw that the tunnel had finally yielded something else: a door. It wooden and old, but it still remained firmly shut.

And then he heard what he had expected the entire way through the tunnel: "Snape! Snape, where are you?"

Severus jumped, looking behind him while still moving from the door. Of course one of them was going to come! They couldn't risk him spilling that monster's secret. That voice that sent tremors of fury through his body every time he heard it echoed again around the tunnel.

Potter. Arrogant, foolish James Potter was coming to stop him.

He turned and ran, but something grabbed his arm and hauled him away from the door. Potter, no matter how much he loathed it, was faster and stronger from all the Quidditch he played. He had reached him before Severus could open the door and physically pulled him away.

"You idiot!" Potter shouted. "What do you think you're doing?" His eyes were wild with anger and fear. At the sound of his yelling, something behind the door growled, and Severus could hear sniffing. He was close, so close, to ruining the lives of the four people who had made his life more miserable than it already was.

"Revealing Lupin for the beast he is," Severus spat. He had come so far to let anybody, least of all a Marauder, stop him. "Now move aside."

Severus tried to push past him, but Potter refused. He clamped his hands tight around him and tried to tug him away from the door. They fought and struggled for several moments. Thankfully he had grown since his first year, so the fight was almost balanced, but it was obvious that in a few more seconds Potter would gain the upper hand. Realizing he couldn't reach his wand, he elbowed Potter as hard as he could in the stomach. There was a satisfying grunt, and Severus was free once again.

He reached for the door where the growls and scratching, and the handle felt cold against his hand. After all this time, he would have his revenge. Once this got out, those Marauders who were always strutting about the place without a care in the world would be humbled at last.

"No – DON'T!" Potter yelled in desperation.

Severus ignored him. He turned and pulled the door open, relishing the contentment he would feel at finally seeing Lupin just as he should have been from the beginning, caged like a bloodthirsty manticore –

Except there was no cage.

As he beheld a room full of broken and smashed furniture, the werewolf that had prowled behind it, eager for the taste of human flesh, snapped around to confront the newest intruder into its lair. The horrible yellow eyes were slits, and the lips were pulled back in a ferocious snarl, revealing wicked sharp teeth that could easily severe a neck. The fur on its neck raised, and the claws fully extended into daggers capable of slicing through bone.

There it was, in all its horrifying glory, rearing to attack the prey it longed for with nothing to separate it from the human who had been foolish enough to open the entrance to its prison in the first place.

Severus could hear his head screaming for him to flee, but the feeling had left his legs. He could only stand there as the wolf lunged for him.

A rock sailed over his shoulder, whacking the werewolf in the nose with such an aim that could only be perfected through years of training. It was a good enough hit that the wolf stumbled for a brief second before roaring at Severus once more with an enraged intensity.

Thankfully something was pulling him back towards the entrance.

"Run! _RUN_!" Potter bellowed, and that was enough to jerk him back into his own body. His legs shook with terror, but Potter pushed him forcefully towards the entrance.

Severus ran for his life with Potter hot on his heels. The werewolf snarled and roared as it sprinted for its food, panting heavily. Each time it was within striking distance, Potter would slash his wand and hit it with a Stinging Hex, giving the both of them a little more time to reach safety.

He glanced back to see Potter send three separate hexes consecutively at the wolf. Each time one hit Lupin, the wolf would stumble back a little more but roar in a renewed frenzy. Potter was gasping for air, drenched in sweat from the race, but Severus doubted he looked much better. His aching muscles begged for a rest, but he ignored them.

Suddenly Severus tripped over a protruding root, and he went sprawling. Tasting dirt, he flipped over just in time to see the bloodthirsty werewolf bearing down on him, but then a sizzling white streak hit the wolf in the shoulder while he scurried away from it.

"C'mon, Snape, move! MOVE!"

Potter hauled him to his feet before sending several more curses at the wolf, and if Severus had time, he would have been shocked that Potter had come back for him rather than flee for safety, but too much was happening at once to give the matter much thought. The werewolf whined each time the hexes found their mark, and Potter must have caused it enough pain to reconsider the two humans because it roared one last time before turning tail and fleeing back through the tunnel.

The night sky was visible through the hole at the end of the tunnel, and Severus scrambled for it. He pushed himself up onto the slushy snow under the frozen Whomping Willow, collapsing flat on his belly from the exhaustion. Beside him, Potter was on all fours, shoulders heaving; his bangs clung to his forehead from the sweat.

They lied there for a moment in silence, and Severus gulped in as much air as he could. The night was freezing, and the melting snow under him slowly leaked through his robes, but he felt it with relief for his feverish skin.

"Are – you – mental?" Potter finally hissed after a small amount of time had passed. He had regained his breath, and now he was glowering at him.

Severus pushed himself up onto his elbows. Looking back, it was such an insane notion to think he could withstand a werewolf on a full moon, but there was no way he was going to tell Potter that. "_I _wasn't the one who was blind to the danger of letting a werewolf attend Hogwarts in the first place, Potter," he sneered. "None of this would have happened if Lupin had been put down like he should have been."

Potter growled in a way that was very similar to the animal they had just escaped. "None of _this_ would have happened if you hadn't been stupid enough to go after a werewolf in the first place!" he shot back angrily.

Severus bristled with resentment. "Don't forget that it was your best mate –"

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MINDS?!"

The two boys jumped in surprise. McGonagall was striding towards them, her face white with a rage that equaled Lupin's. Severus didn't think her lips could be that thin, but apparently they could. She towered over them with her wand held tightly in a curled fist before giving each of them a long, healthy glare. He gulped; he had never seen McGonagall so angry before. As she finally neared them, he was able to see that her face had gone white with fury.

There was a moment when rage seemed to render her speechless, but she finally managed to speak.

Only two words: "Headmaster. Now."

**I know I said that I would keep about two weeks in between updates, but for some unknown reason, I've just been on a roll. Maybe it's because I've not written this story for so long, but whatever it is, I am currently writing like crazy, and since I've got a lot written, I decided that I might as well update this story earlier than I expected to.**

**I really hoped you liked it and that I did the moment when Sirius sends Snape to the Whomping Willow justice. As for Lily, if any of you wonderful readers were wondering, she finally had some time to collect her thoughts to realize why the Marauders decided to become illegal Animagi. That might have been confusing for some of you since none of this chapter was from her perspective. (I think that's the first time I've done that in the entire story.)**

**And I would like to thank all of the reviewers: Infinity Lily, JadedLights07, vampire-luver101, and jujubugxx. Many thank yous times a million, billion, trillion!**

**REVIEW! I would love it if you all could let me know what you think of each chapter, and I would be glad to answer any questions you may have. I really hope that the long hiatus has scared anybody away from reviewing, so please, please, PLEASE review!**

**BTW: Flamers are not welcome. Go find somebody else who doesn't mind you spewing insults like a Jarvey on magical steroids because I have no wish to read it.  
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**Your pleading-for-reviews Muggle,**

**WorldNerd12**


	74. Author's Note

**Hello!**

*****Don't worry; this isn't a note saying that I'm abandoning the story or anything. You can rest easy about that.**

**Due to those fifteen months when I didn't write anything pertinent to this story, I've been having to go back over the story to remember some of the things that I've already had in my story and subplots that I would have otherwise forgotten about. When I was reading it, something kept nagging me. When I started the first version of the story back in 2009 (the one that I had to delete and re-post because my computer hated me. Merlin bless you if you've been following this story since the beginning all those years ago) I had barely started high school and hadn't taken many English classes, but now looking back, I've realized how much of the story I could have improved upon and all of the things that I could have added. It's just that I feel now that I've spent some time studying how to write better, the old writing isn't as good as I could make it; I see it as sort of choppy and not as descriptive or fluent as it could be.**

**So now I have decided to rewrite this story for the purpose of making those chapters better and more exciting to read. It will be a full rewrite, meaning that all those annoying grammar mistakes will go away, and I will also be adding and correcting information that I have read on Pottermore. All of those little bits of completely random information that the brilliant genius who is J.K. Rowling said in various interviews will be in here.**

**That means that there may be additional events and lengthened chapters (maybe even a couple of whole chapters), especially in Part 1. I will also take this time to give more personality to each character and relationship in Part 1 as well as giving some time to secondary and tertiary characters. That includes giving James some more "screen" time in his early years and adding to the relationship between Snape and Lily - every time I read something that I wrote about them, I always (not literally) kick myself in the head for not doing better. ****There are a couple of _SMALL _differences from the canon that I will be keeping because I think it adds to the story, but they will be very, very _small _things like characters who are a couple years too old to be in school with Lily and James, but they still add to the story.**

**I am also going to review all the reviews that you lovelies have left me to see all the critiques and suggestions and (some) hopes that people said. That will also help in making this story better.**

**My goal is still to have sixth year completely done by the end of August. It may take a month or two, but I will be uploading the chapters all at once so that there is no confusion as to which chapters are different and which aren't. When they are all done and finished, I will put REVISED AS OF 'month'/'day'/'year' in the summary for the story. Again, my goal is to have finished everything up to the end of sixth year by the end of August, so when I start writing seventh year, I will have started college.**

**I am and will always be touched that some of you readers have said that this is one of the better Lily/James stories. They say that one's harshest critic is oneself. That's true for me, but I still think that there are many things that I could have done better.**

**It's just that whenever I go back to remind myself of things, I always find myself wanting to go back and change things. ****Hopefully by the time this story and all the chapters in it are revised, it will be much better and more fluent than before. This is for all of you readers as much as it is for me. I want to give you the best story I can give you.**

**Your writing Muggle,**

**WorldNerd12**

**P.S: If any of you are wishing for things that you've always wanted to see but I never put in, now would be the time to tell me. As long as it matches with the plots and characters that I already have, I am probably going to want to add it.**

**P.P.S: I really mean it: Merlin bless you for all who have been with the story since the very beginning of that cursed first draft almost five years ago.**


	75. UPDATE 6-1-15

**UPDATE 6/1/15: Hi again. So there's good news and there's bad news. The good news is that I am all done with my first year of college (YAY! I SURVIVED!) and don't have to worry about studying for tests or anything. The bad news is that I didn't realize just how busy my summer would also be since I was just focusing on getting through finals week. Between a full-time job, a part-time job, volunteering, and working on getting in my papers for transferring come next spring semester, I've got a pretty full schedule. But don't worry, at least my free time will actually be free time, not cram-as-much-stuff-as-you-can-before-the-test-starts time.**

**As for where I'm at, I'm at the end of third year. Part of the reason this is only a little bit further than last time is because I was leaving things like the Marauder's annual pranks and Quidditch games until I actually had a lot of good ideas for them, and some deep thinking and suggestions from others (thanks ElsaElphieGinny!), I've been writing down ideas in my notes and have been adding it to the story. (I started a note sheet on Word so that I wouldn't have to go back and search this entire story for little bits of information and also where I could keep "Things to Remember" or suggestions from other people) I've got quite a lot of that done and finished, though for a lot of Quidditch games I'm leaving it for when a funny mood strikes me and so will continuously add little bits at a time.**

**I don't have a lot going on this week, so I'll be spending plenty of the start of fourth year. Also, I'll be spending Father's Day weekend with some of my family which means that I'll have a lot of time there to work on the story. (It's not like I'm sacrificing much for that. Most of my family's too old for actual fun stuff like laser tag.)**

**Here's a little snippet from the new story. (Don't worry, I won't be giving you any major or comical scenes that would spoil it. It's just a nice little thank you to all who have stuck with this story.) There's no part of the old story to compare this to since it's a new scene I added to help explain the switch from rivalry to infatuation. As usual, this will be much the same barring any minor last-minute edits.**

"You know, I've heard that Professor Kettleburn is supposed to be quite good," said Alice as they made their way towards where their first Care of Magical Creatures class would take place, which was the Middle Courtyard. "A bit eccentric, but still a pretty awesome teacher."

This was the first time Lily had a class in one of her new subjects, and she wasn't quite sure what to expect. Care of Magical Creatures had been one of the classes she had been looking forward to the most, almost as much as Arithmancy though decidedly less than Divination since she was only taking that class to keep Mary company. It was the first class of hers that would be held outside, and it was also the only class that all three of her Gryffindor friends were taking. Actually, many people had signed up for this class, though she wasn't sure if it was simply because many people would rather learn with real, live creatures or if it was due more to Professor Kettleburn's popularity, which she had heard that it was very high.

When they finally reached the courtyard, Lily saw that a couple of other students had also shown up early, all of them Slytherins, which was apparently who they would be sharing the class with – again. She would've been thrilled if she had been in Severus's class, but unfortunately Severus wasn't taking Care of Magical Creatures. Instead, it was his friends, such as Mulciber and Rosier who she was stuck with.

"Hello!" called a cheerful voice as Lily and her friends approached, and Lily took great care to keep some distance between herself and Mulciber. "I take it that you four girls are also taking my Care of Magical Creatures class?"

The speaker was a short plump man with a jolly smile on his face. His wispy grey hair couldn't cover up several bald spots that looked as if something had burned his hair away completely, but that wasn't the only part of his body missing: he had no left leg as it had been replaced by a wooden leg with a rotating joint at the ankle and the knee, and he was also missing several fingers. Lily had seen him up at the staff table several times, usually talking to Hagrid, and she assumed that this was Professor Kettleburn.

"Yes, sir," said Marlene. "Are you Professor Kettleburn?"

"That I am, Miss …"

Here, he looked at Marlene expectantly, and she hastily gave her name. "McKinnon – Marlene McKinnon."

"Well, Ms. McKinnon, I'm glad that you've joined us, and who might your friends be?" Professor Kettleburn asked curiously, glancing down at a clipboard that no doubt held all their names on it.

"Lily Evans, sir," said Lily before gesturing to the other two. "This is Alice Prewett and Mary Macdonald."

"And don't forget James Potter," shouted another voice from behind Lily.

Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning around. The four Marauders were currently strolling across the courtyard, Potter and Black in front while Pettigrew and Lupin tagged along behind them, but at the moment, Lily's attention was focused only on one of them.

She hadn't actually talked to Potter since Stoughton's memorial service at the end of last year, though she had certainly seen him several times. He didn't look that much different from last year except that his height had gained a couple of inches and he was ganglier, but what Lily really wondered was if she would be sharing classes with Potter, the arrogant Quidditch player and person who absolutely loved to tease Severus, or if perhaps this was the boy who had comforted her on the beach after Bellatrix murdered her teacher right in front of her.

Lily remembered it like it was yesterday: so many of her friends had offered her a shoulder to cry on, but it was Potter who had brought her the briefest moment of happiness during that dark week, who had given her the strength to set foot in the Great Hall to say good-bye to Stoughton one final time. Somehow, the boy who took pleasure in dumping ice-cold water on her head and turning her hair bright green had managed to distract her from the haunting images of Stoughton's blank eyes and that unforgiving flash of green light that had followed her everywhere ever since that fateful day.

Potter caught her eye as he approached the professor with his friends by his side, and for a fleeting moment, there was the same warmth in his eyes, but that disappeared in an instant when he flashed her a haughty smirk and, quite unabashed, said, "Hey there, pretty lady."

Lily blinked, quite confused with the sudden change in Potter's demeanor, and responded in a flat voice, "Say that again?"

Beside him, Black stared at Potter with his mouth agape, Pettigrew rubbed his ears as if worrying that he had misheard, and Lupin looked just as dumbfounded as Lily herself was – they possibly were wondering if their friend had gone completely and totally bonkers – but Potter paid them no mind, his grin widening even more as he wiggled his eyebrows and said smoothly, "I was just stating that you're looking quite fine this morning, Evans."

"Potter, are you _flirting _with me?" demanded Lily, narrowing her eyes in dislike.

Potter winked and said, "That depends – do you _want _me to flirt?"

Lily gave an astonished snort. "No," she said flatly, and she quickly moved to stand on the other side of her friends, all of whom were also staring, shocked by Potter's abrupt forwardness, but they were also torn between amusement and disapproval.

"What was that all about?" whispered Marlene when the Marauders were far enough away not to overhear.

Lily shot one more glare at Potter before turning back to her friend and muttering, "I have no clue."

**If any of you are confused as to the scene that Lily references after Stoughton's death, that's also another scene that's in the new version. (I made a bunch of changes and added a lot to Stoughton's death and the aftermath since in the old version, I felt like I skipped over a lot of things that really should have been in the story. (And yeah, this scene happens right at the VERY beginning of when James is starting to like Lily)**

**Thoughts? Suggestions? PM me! I would absolutely love to hear your ideas!**

**Toodle-doo for now, my lovelies!**

**WorldNerd12**

**(Next update: 7/1/15)**


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